Geography is here to stay
I really enjoy reading Wired every time a new issue is out (and I manage to get one here in Münster, which is not always as easy as it sounds). It’s articles like this one that cause my fandom for this mag.
Have you ever wondered why people still move into crowded cities, with incredibly expensive rents, crowded public transport systems and hardly any green spots to relax, when you can live for cheap out in the green, and still be connected to the world through the Web? The answer is pretty simple:
Harvard economist Ed Glaeser, an expert on city economies, argues that communications technology and face-to-face interactions are complements like salt and pepper, rather than substitutes like butter and margarine. Paradoxically, your cell phone, email, and Facebook networks are making it more attractive to meet people in the flesh.
Given the fact that there are also other factors like better cultural offerincs in the city, I am pretty sure that the situation when it does really not matter any longer where you are is still a long time coming. In other words - geography is here to stay.
RSS Feed
