Will has good points and this concept can be done on smaller lots too. In our energy, commodity constrained future future.

Many people will start to work from home as the cost of going to work in time, money means one needs to produce 1/2 as much for the same real income.

How it can be done is producing RE power like solar steam engines, windgens, collecting local biomass to convert to electricity, fuel pellets, ect along with growing food like will does though I'm thinking on a much smaller plot like 1/4acre. A dozen fruit, nut trees and a greenhouse/garden supplies the occupants with food, cash.

These can bring in a good living because the costs are so low without work travel time, lunch, clothes, lack of time to do things, find deals costs are much lower, running costs are under $400/person/month plus mortgage so one doesn't have to make much.

I live on about $250/month total cost since my mortgage is paid for food, clothes, utilities,
transport which is easy to make in my garage building custom EV's, ect in my small shop.

Starting from scratch on a site this RE, food growing, workshop could be done for under $50k
plus land.

Urban, suburban both have their good points. Transport costs will drop a fair amount as we switch to cool smaller vehicles mostly powered by renewable produced electricity or mass transit powered by the same. In my present EV gets about $.06/mile total costs because it's lightweight and aero.

And it's adjustments like these that will give economist heartburn. If big business, oil, coal, gov don't get reasonable many more will do as I do which will hurt them big time.

It's what we did in the 73 recession which rove the price of oil back down to under inflation
adjusted rates to before the oil embargo though without the electric cars but by car pooling, smaller cars, fewer trips, vacations, ect. In fact this recession, oil pricing looks a lot like then.

jerryd