Visit the study: www.upwork.com/i/freelancing-in-america
A Future City
Today’s urban dwellers face stresses such as long commutes, high costs of living and limited housing. Something has to give. Within a decade, it’s predicted that the majority of U.S. workers will freelance. How might our cities change? Based on findings from the Freelancing in America study, this visual depicts a brighter future, one in which our cities are built around how we want to live rather than where we need to work.
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Where people live
As work becomes decoupled from physical locations people will be able to live where they truly want and won’t be confined to overcrowded areas. Instead, they will choose places that fit their preferred lifestyle and their budget. As they settle in, they’ll likely build homes set up to account for working from home.
Where people work
With freelancers’ ability to work from wherever they prefer, more home offices will be built and the rise of coworking spaces will continue. Millennials are especially likely to work from coworking spaces and expect that more will be built.
How people get around
As more people work from home, there will be fewer cars on the road and (hallelujah!) less time spent driving to work. Freelancers are already less likely to drive and more likely to take public transportation, so we will see more people taking advantage of future public transit systems like high-speed trains and hyperloops.
How people get their services
We are already seeing a rise in delivery services. In the future, service providers will come to you, whether it be virtually or to your door. Doctors may make house calls again. Deliveries and assistance from robots and drones will be the norm.
Family life
Almost two-thirds of freelancers today say one of the reasons they freelance is to spend more time with their families. As more people freelance and set their hours on their own terms, as their own boss, families are likely to regain time previously spent commuting and in the office.
Skills and education
Freelancers are more aware of how quickly work is changing and therefore already more proactively learning new skills than traditional employees are. As innovation continues, freelancers will play a critical role in providing the skills our world needs. To stay fresh, they’ll engage in online learning and mentor future generations to learn in new, more flexible ways.
Economy boost
A healthy freelance economy will boost America’s middle class. In non-urban areas freelancers move to, there will be an economic uptick as people buy homes and make local purchases that provide more work and income for area residents.