Econ 197 Discussion Sheet 2 Cruz PDF

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are the cities dying? or are they really dying?...

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Econ 197 D Discussion Sheet 2 Why are cities dying? Or are they really dying? Why are cities dying? According to professional seers, the advancement of modern technology and the reign of the informational city will inevitably render face-to-face contact obsolete. People will choose to communicate via telephones, emails, etc. However, many dispute this claim. Cities facilitate essential personal contact between humans that otherwise cannot be done in the digital world. Glaeser claims that the informational city does not replace, but rather complement face-to-face contact. People in a close relationship or otherwise living in cities are more likely to call each other than not. The rise of technology will not oppose personal human interaction but rather will help augment people’s formation of bonds with each other. On the other hand, experts on the inner city believe that the benefits of the city are declining rapidly and are being overshadowed by its costs. Cities are dying because of the rise of poverty, pollution, congestion, crime rate, and social problems. The costs of living and commuting increase exponentially, and more and more poor people move into cities, attracted by the transportation costs, public goods bundle, and social networks (). However, many growing cities are not poor at all. In fact, the larger the cities become, the richer they are. The presence of crime, pollution, and other social problems continue to persist but despite those, cities still thrive. The rising population and demand for information, contact, and money still increase the demand for cities. In his article, “Are Cities Dying?” published in 1998, Edward Glaeser believed that the death of the city is far from imminent, and decades later, cities continue to grow - but not without major costs....