Exploring the relationship between telework and housing space: Empirical evidence for Switzerland

This paper examines the relationship between telework and the housing space in Switzerland, drawing on sufficiency-oriented sustainability debates. While teleworking is often discussed as a measure to reduce commuting-related emissions, its implications for housing space have received little empirical attention. Using a unique survey of 948 tenant households living in 3- to 5.5-room dwellings in urban agglomerations in German-speaking Switzerland, we analyse the likelihood of teleworking and its association with housing space per person. A probit model identifies the socio-demographic, spatial and housing-related factors that increase the probability of teleworking, while an OLS model examines whether telework is linked to higher housing space per person. The results show that teleworkers use on average almost six square metres more housing space per person. This is partly due to the need for dedicated workspace at home, and partly due to the socio-economic characteristics of households that are more likely to telework. The findings suggest that telework may contribute to rising housing space and thus poses challenges for sustainable housing. The study offers the first empirical evidence on this relationship for Switzerland and highlights the need to address spatial spillover effects in future housing and sustainability policies.