Only a 100 years — the whole history before that was working in the vicinity of a home, it does feel natural to return to that. Instead of anvils, we hit keyboards and instead of swords produce alignment, but either way it brings food to the table and allows flexibility in work-life?
Not in tech but was a teacher for decades. My first teaching job in early 80s of the last century had a requirement that teachers live within 5 miles of the building.
In general; perhaps a return to guilds? Apprentices? In an area of my city that has a lot of small craft workshops (and, yes, a few have anvils) there are 'work-live' units being built that have workshops on the ground floor and living accommodation above.
Noisy open spaces with many people talking at the same time and people coming in sick with contagious respiratory infections is not really a recipe for productivity independently of commute.
5 days a week an hour each way 10 hours of death each week.
There is no authoritarian “shift” this has been business as usual for the last 100 years. Stupid business but business nonetheless