Digital Infrastructure and Physical Proximity

Some 2000 years ago, the average annual distance a person would normally travel, was approximately 500 km. The action radius of most people remained rather stable, but it rose gradually after the industrial revolution to some 1820 km (by car, bus, railway or aircraft) in the year 1960. Then, a period of rapid increase started, with almost 4390 km per year in 1990. Clearly, air transport, but also technological advances and changing lifestyles formed the background of this megatrend. Accessibility and proximity have become keywords in understanding the geographical pattern of the ‘homo mobilis’. The question is if and how this pattern of physical movement will be affected by the digital revolution.