posted on Jun, 21 2008 @ 02:57 AM
reply to post by luckyfourteen
Luckyfourteen. With the rise of the cost of fuel, citys are no longer cost effective. I know that sounds like heresy but the times they are a
changing.
In a market where transportation is cheap, a city is economical relative to more highly dispersed areas.
When fuel is precious, those less dense areas must begin to produce and consume locally and end the high dependence upon transportation. In this
scenario the city becomes relatively high cost, because it cannot adapt to the new paradigm. Add to that the inherent vulnerability of density, and
it is fair to say that your wish will soon be granted.
We are entering a new age where manufacturing capability is approaching a level where generalized machines can manufacture custom one offs locally.
Perhaps we will once again begin to value the individual, and dependence upon corporations will diminish. The versatility of available product will
continue to increase. The dependence upon remote mass production and every item coming from a specialized remote manufacturer will become
uncompetitive, and obsolete.
Why import that shovel from China, when Bob down the street can run off the handle, and Bill next door can run any one of a thousand prints you desire
through the metal fab. Charley across the street can do the assembly and you can have a beer together when he drops it off this afternoon.
I seriously thought that the government would realize the insanity of citys and the paradigm shift after 9/11. But old men are seriously slow to
adapt.
Some things take generations, and sometimes you need to wait for the old men to die off before sanity catches up with change.