Transcending locality-driven lifestyles: The potential of the Internet to redefine neighborhood patterns

This thesis is a study of the use of the Internet as a change agent for redefining and transforming prevailing neighborhood patterns in America. The premise of this thesis is that the evolving use of the Internet as a virtual transportation medium may result in forcing one's daily activities of living, working, learning and playing to converge on a single locality. This convergence would in turn affect the traditional patterning of residential neighborhoods where most of America lives. Although lifestyle choices today are rapidly evolving, the planning of residential environments has changed little since the early 1900s, and these planning models are inadequate to meet the demands of America in the 21st century.; Affordable technology coupled with Internet use is already altering lifestyle patterns, transcending barriers of locality-based activities and associated linear lifestyles. Community planners and designers must understand the possible by-products of convergent lifestyles and anticipate the ramifications for communities to effectively participant in and lead any resultant transformation process.; This study was undertaken in three parts. In the first part, the author participated in and documented herein the first pilot synchronous distance learning program at the Harvard Design School in order to understand and experience a convergent lifestyle. The second part includes an assessment of current trends in telecommunications and telecommuting and an analysis of prevailing urban, suburban and rural neighborhood patterns. And the third part, using the Oral History method of data collection, consists of a study involving a sample frame of 15 unique individuals of diverse backgrounds already experiencing varied forms of convergent lifestyles.; Using a scenario-based model, this thesis explores the study subjects' specific rationale in constructing a particular lifestyle model, the environmental changes, if any, that they seek, and their perceived effect on the neighborhoods in which they reside. Lifestyle choice related variables are compared with national trends in key areas such as economic and educational factors, employment, mobility, family dynamics, migration, and community and housing preferences. This thesis argues plausible future convergent lifestyle trends and presents possible future neighborhood impact scenarios as a direct result of increased Internet use by America's residents.