It is suggested by many that between now and 2050 people will be increasingly mobile at the global level. Global migration will increase exponentially through a combination of 'pull' factors (e.g. the need for skilled/unskilled workers) and ‘push’ factors (e.g. civil unrest, poverty, lifestyle choices and rising affluence). But like today, governments may continue to “manage migration”. Mobility may not be available to all, and indeed, may positively discouraged.

At the UK level, rapid developments in communication are likely to transform the necessity for people to move daily in the course of their work. An increasingly service-based UK economy may seize the opportunity to divest itself of formal workspaces. The distinction between home and work environments may increasingly disintegrate for a substantial section of the population. Commuting may become unusual. Dormitory towns and villages will increasingly have day-time occupants. Residential patterns may shift accordingly. For instance, migration to historically inaccessible or impractical locations may become more common place. Some of these movements may exacerbate the affordability of housing for local residents.