Varax wrote:There are a number of interesting alternatives to this pattern of development, such as urbanates which would be communities designed for walk-ability/no real need for cars as well as efficiently using resources. It would also allow for a lot more greenspace and individual urbanates could be linked up using maglevs for instance. It's an example of a technological solution to such problems in terms of urban development and could be readily done if we kick capitalism to the curb. I would be interested to know what you think of it.
I don't think we have to invent something "shiny and new" to replace our last "shiny and new" failure.
Really, we could thrive with only the least invasive of the last millennia's technology... and perhaps much less.
The urge to "invent something new" is more about vanity than it is about reason or logic or quality of life. The maglev, for example, would eventually fall into private hands and be used to extort money from the poor - just like our current transportation is used this way. And the new urban form would have problems that we can't foresee right now. Perhaps fatal ones either socially or physically.
But I agree with kicking capitalism to the curb. I just think that the search for shiny new gadgets is one of its features that needs to be eradicated.
"Their economy produces things cheaper than ours, so we need to send them some manufactured viruses to level the playing field." - Freedom and Democracy Inc.