The impact of telework on the intention to change residential location: A post-pandemic analysis

Source abstract

Telework, accelerated by COVID-19, is expected to continue as a key factor shaping work practices and urban dynamics. Given its traditional association with suburban living, understanding how telework influences residential relocation intentions can provide valuable policy insights. This study examines the impact of post-pandemic telework adoption on intentions to change residence in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area (LMA). A Structural Equation Model (SEM) is used. Results indicate that neither telework frequency nor telework attitudes significantly influence the intention to change residence, implying no evidence that telework impacts residential relocation behavior. Nevertheless, the socioeconomic and housing exogenous variables such as dwelling typologies, tenancy status, age and tenure period exert a stronger influence on the intention to change residence. The findings further reveal that individuals with longer tenure periods, renters, and higher household income earners are likely to reside in more urban centers and tend to change their residential locations due to dissatisfaction with the street space qualities surrounding their residences. The direction of movement is likely towards suburban areas, potentially leading to urban sprawl. Moreover, dissatisfaction with street space environment appears to discourage moving to a more central urban area, even for individuals with lower accessibility satisfaction and facing long commutes, unless the quality of street environment is improved, underscoring the critical role of street environment in reducing urban sprawl. These findings are relevant to urban planners, transport planners and policy makers emphasizing the importance of improving street space environments, expanding accessibility, and aligning land use and transport strategies to support balanced urban development.