> This is all a very American point of view. If instead we looked at European cities that were not built around cars and have good trains even for small hamlets, then absolutely, decentralized offices would make sense to me.
I think you're looking at Europe too much through rose-tinted glasses here. There might be more "hamlets" with "good trains" than in the US, but they're still not the norm, and compared to city centres those decentralised office and light industry business parks are mostly still a pain to get to on public transport, unless you happen to live in the right direction (which is where your "Once you settle down roots, you don't want to have to upend your life if you lose your job or just want to find another job." problem comes in).
I think you're looking at Europe too much through rose-tinted glasses here. There might be more "hamlets" with "good trains" than in the US, but they're still not the norm, and compared to city centres those decentralised office and light industry business parks are mostly still a pain to get to on public transport, unless you happen to live in the right direction (which is where your "Once you settle down roots, you don't want to have to upend your life if you lose your job or just want to find another job." problem comes in).