Diana Ionescu wrote:

"Every recent survey reports that the rush-hour commute is, to most of the drivers who endure it, the most difficult and unpleasant part of their day," writes Alan Ehrenhalt. "It is also the most alienating." Yet "[i]t shouldn’t be forgotten that the solo commute is a creation of the 20th century. In Victorian times, work and home life were concentrated in the same places." In fact, "[t]he nightmares of rush hour were and are creatures of the automobile, the modern suburb and the zoning ordinances that have rigidly separated commercial and industrial enclaves from the residential districts of metro areas."

...

Of course, writes Ehrenhalt, "the most appealing long-term answer is for more of us to live near the places where we work," reducing the need for extensive travel to and from work. The commuting problem can only be solved by eliminating the need for it for more people.