Work-from-home and cities: An elementary spatial model
用一个最简单的模型分析混合居家办公对城市的影响，发现居家办公会提高工资和住房消费、缩小商业区、降低商业地租，并改变住宅租金分布，与实证证据一致。
This paper analyzes the urban impacts of hybrid WFH in the simplest possible model, relying on Leontief utility and production functions and other simplifying assumptions. The analysis shows that introduction of WFH raises both the wage and household land consumption (raising worker utility) while shrinking the size of the business district and reducing business land rent. When WFH requires home work space, the city’s overall spatial size increases, with residential rents rising in the suburbs while falling near the center. The decline in business rent and the rotation of the residential rent contour match empirical evidence showing that WFH reduces office-building values and flattens the residential rent gradient. • This paper develops an elementary urban spatial model where residents work from home part of the time. • The model contrasts with existing models in the literature, which are highly complex. • Simplicity is achieved by the use of Leontief utility and CBD-production functions. • The model’s predictions match some empirical evidence on the effects of WFH.