SAN FRANCISCO/ New Colonist -- A new survey by The New Colonist, a web magazine about city living, shows that technology provides people more choice of where to live, and many are choosing to live in cities.

The survey showed that if respondents were offered the ability to work at home, more than half (53 percent) would choose to move to a city. Thirty percent said they would move to the country and just 12 percent would move to the suburbs. Just over half said technology had already influenced where they live.

Respondents also said the internet has made it easier to live in both the city and in rural areas and has made more products and services available to city dwellers.

³It seems clear from these results that the internet and new technology has provided consumers in both urban and rural areas more choice,² said Eric Miller, editor of The New Colonist. ³In rural areas where there arenıt so many stores, and in cities where those without cars find shopping for price, and shopping for big-ticket items difficult, the internet has provided more options.²

The survey showed the internet also had an impact on life outside of work. An astonishing 84 percent said life outside of work had been influenced by technology. More than half said the internet has resulted in more interaction with people. Sixty-five percent, however said they did not prefer shopping and working online to shopping in stores and working at the office.

³People are continuing to recognize the value and benefits technology can bring them,² Miller said. ³But like the suburbs, the online world can be somewhat of an isolating experience. The desire to live in urban areas and the desire to work and shop in real places may symbolize a desire for real-time human interaction. As more and more of the day is spent online, offline experiences become even more important.²

Respondents also asked if city residents were more or less likely to shop online. About half said more, and half said less. When asked if technology had made where they are less or more important, almost half said no effect, with 28 percent each saying more and less.

Look for full results to posted at New Colonist on the survey page.