THE ROLE OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS IN BUSINESS DECENTRALIZATION: TRANSPORTATION AND LAND-USE IMPACTS. PHASE I FINAL REPORT

One means of managing regional growth and reducing VMT is to decentralize jobs from urban centers to housing-rich, jobs-poor outlying areas. This study examines the extent to which telecommunications is facilitating, or motivating, business relocation of a portion of operations from a headquarters location to outlying areas. Detailed survey information was obtained from 35 firms with 250 or more employees that made major recent moves (generally from 1980-86). Responses from the 18 firms that decentralized operations indicated that companies tended to disperse in response to employee/transportation-related issues such as performance/hiring/retention, travel time/distance/stress, and quality of life. Transportation issues, including employee-related issues and accessibility to suppliers and customers, were given as reasons for choosing a particuular location in 74% of cases, the largest category of response. Telecommunications influenced the decision to move for 43% of the companies but influenced site selection in only 20% of cases. The lesser role of telecommunications is partially due to the recency of many telecommunications developments relative to the relocation decisions, most of which were made over five years ago. The observed trend toward dispersed operations (particularly among manufacturing firms) will decrease commute travel and increase regional job-housing balance.

• Corporate Authors:

  Southern California Association of Governments

  600 South Commonwealth Avenue, Suite 1000
  Los Angeles, CA  United States  90005

  California Department of Transportation

  1120 N Street
  Sacramento, CA  United States  95814

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Publication Date: 1988-4

Media Info

• Features: Appendices; Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 238 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Businesses; Data collection; Decentralization; Decision making; Relocation (Facilities); Surveys; Telecommunications; Transportation; Travel time; Trip length
• Uncontrolled Terms: Jobs-housing balance; Relocation
• Subject Areas: Economics; Society; Transportation (General); I10: Economics and Administration;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00479590
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: FHWA/CA/TP-88/01
• Contract Numbers: SA 74E111
• Files: TRIS, USDOT, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Feb 28 1989 12:00AM