Impediments to Teleworking in Live/Work Communities: Local Planning Regulations and Tax Policies

Abstract

It was hoped that increased teleworking would reduce traffic congestion leading to lower levels of greenhouse gas emissions, other air pollutants, storm water runoff and noise. However, despite recent technological advancements in telecommunication, telework adoption rates are still lower than initially projected and thus the purported benefits are also lower. The literature suggests that this is related to organisational and institutional barriers. This article examines two institutional issues that appear to be hindering telework at the local scale—land-use planning regulations and tax policies. These were two of the main issues identified through interviews with residents of two live/work communities, one in Australia and the other in the USA. Findings suggest that if policy-makers want to increase teleworking rates, attention should be focused on removing barriers created by local land-use planning regulations and tax policies. With the resurgent interest in telework as a result of the National Broadband Network, this article provides some timely advice to help decision-makers add value to this multi-billion dollar investment.

有人希望通过远程办公减少交通拥堵，并藉此降低温室气体排放、其他空气污染源、雨水溢流和噪音。然而，尽管通讯技术日新月异，远程办公的采用率仍然低于预期，因此其优势也不明显。文献指出这种情况是因为组织和体制障碍造成的。本文考察了看似在某一地区阻碍了远程办公的两个制度因素——土地使用规划规定和税收政策。我们对两个生活/工作社区——个在澳大利亚，一个在美国——的居民进行了采访，这两个问题是受访者提出的主要问题。研究结果表明，政策制定者如果试图提高远程办公率，就应集中精力消除地方土地使用规划规定和税收政策所造成的障碍。国家宽带网激发出新一波对远程办公的兴趣，本文及时提出建议，帮助决策者从这项数百万美元投资的项目中获取最大利益。

Keywords:

• Live/work communities
• telework
• planning
• land use
• taxation
• Australia
• USA

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to express their gratitude to Crighton Properties for their financial support that facilitated the progress of this study.

Notes

1. For the sake of the privacy of residents this study is not allowed to reveal the real identity of this community. It will be called Lakeside, which refers to its actual nature located beside a beautiful lake.

2. For the sake of the privacy of residents this study is not allowed to reveal the real identity of this community. It will be called Golfside, which refers to the existence of a golf course as a recreational amenity in the community.