Answered by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
With regards to the question on travelling within ”city limits”, what is the case where it is possible to travel the distance at which shortening of prayers becomes permitted, without leaving city limits? This often happens when towns grow into one another, and the authorities then redraw city limits.
Walaikum assalam wa rahmatullah,
1. One is legally only a traveller once one leaves city limits. As such, in-city journeys do not make one a traveller.
2. Rulings change as realities change: once city limits change, then the new limits would be considered.
Wassalam,
Faraz Rabbani