Lindy, there is a move afoot for people to spread out again, led by the cyberspacoids. <That gives us only 40 years to prepare our cities and our planet for an inflow of new inhabitants comparable to more than 10 United States of Americas.
IBM Smarter Cities (7 October 2009) >
Have a look at zenbu.net.nz Type Rarotonga in the search box. Cyberspacoids can go and hang out in idyllic Cook Islands instead of freezing in downtown Auckland, Wellington, Chistchurch, Dunedin or even [argggh] Invercargill.
The benefits of living in cities are shrinking rather than increasing. Geeks whose livelihood derives from cyberspace can live anywhere and click around to get what they want delivered to their door.
Surging in rush hour traffic to physical locations is absurd. Electrons and photons move faster and cheaper than does 70 kg of wet chemistry in a 1,000 kg metal cage on rubber tyres with an absurdly complex industrial revolution internal combustion engine thrashing away under the bonnet - aka hood.
Most of what we do involves eyes, ears, writing, speaking, combined with cognitive functions, all of which can be done from anywhere there's a fast economic cyberspace link. In another 40 years, the current cybersphere will be a bit like a Model A compared with a 21st century Lexus. Actually, the difference will be vastly greater.
Even if there was not much change at all, cities can adapt a LOT faster than in 40 years. Construction happens in weeks and months rather than decades.
Before then, Peak People will have happened in 2037.
Apart from cyberspace, physical transport will improve phenomenally too with people moving around cities in automatic cars controlled by cyberspace, with no traffic lights, stop signs and muck, one metre apart. Road capacity is ruined at present by the slowest most half-witted drivers in the continuous stream of traffic slowing the whole grid to speeds they are capable of handling. But even the average person is a hopeless large primate with inattention, slow reaction times, limited perception etc. Traffic lights are mostly not needed and should be treated as nothing more than give way signs, with the main road left on green outside peak hours.
Mqurice |
