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I jus pre-ordered a copy of Edward Glaeser and David Cutler's new book called, Survival of the City: Living and Thriving in an Age of Isolation. (I'm usually a hard copy kind of guy, but I decided to try this one out on Kindle / my iPad). The official release date is September 7, 2021, so if you're reading this post in your inbox, the book is now available online.
I'm not familiar with the writing of David Cutler (he's a public health expert), but I am a follower of Edward Glaeser and have written about his work on a number of occasions. Glaeser's last book, Triumph of the City, was a kind of celebration of the wonders of urbanism. After reading it, you couldn't help but feel that cities are our best chance at creating healthy, sustainable, and wealthy communities.
But in listening to Glaeser throughout this pandemic I have noticed that his commentary on the future of cities hasn't been filled with unbridled optimism. You get the sense from him that cities are at a crossroads. This is not to say that city life will not persist, because it will. Cities are powerfully resilient. But not all cities are created equal. Some will continue to flourish in this new economy, but others will not.
This is one of the arguments that they make in this new book and I'm looking forward to reading it once it lands in my Kindle app.
Years ago I wrote about a book that venture capitalist Albert Wenger was writing -- in public I would add -- called The World After Capital. The public bit is interesting. As he was writing the book over the last ten years or so, he did it in public and published drafts along the way. This allowed him to get feedback, learn things, and revise accordingly. He calls this a "knowledge loop" and it ties in nicely with some of the topics that he covers in the book.
The first focus of the book is on explaining that capital (which was a constraint of industrialization) is no longer scarce. This isn't necessarily true everywhere, but he argues that it is true in the developed world. What is instead scarce today is attention. That is our defining constraint as we continue to move into the Knowledge Age. The second focus of his book is on how he thinks we should best respond to these changes, as well as to the limitations of capitalism.
I haven't read the book yet (only scanned it), but it's now in my queue. Normally my queue consists of a stack of partially read books next to my bed. But this one is digital only for the time being. If you'd like to read a digital copy (there's a downloadable PDF), go here. Apparently there will also be a hard copy available sometime later this year or early next year.
Gestalten and SPACE10 have a new book out that I think many of you may want to add to your library. It's called The Ideal City, and it's all about what's next when it comes to cities. Here's a short excerpt from the publisher:
Urban life is humankind’s biggest experiment to date, our cities are constantly evolving and adapting to climate and economy. The cities we have today are not necessarily the ones we need, but big and small innovation is rethinking visions of urbanization. Together with pioneering research and design lab SPACE10, we present future-orientated design which enhances quality of life and makes our urban spaces more vibrant.
I jus pre-ordered a copy of Edward Glaeser and David Cutler's new book called, Survival of the City: Living and Thriving in an Age of Isolation. (I'm usually a hard copy kind of guy, but I decided to try this one out on Kindle / my iPad). The official release date is September 7, 2021, so if you're reading this post in your inbox, the book is now available online.
I'm not familiar with the writing of David Cutler (he's a public health expert), but I am a follower of Edward Glaeser and have written about his work on a number of occasions. Glaeser's last book, Triumph of the City, was a kind of celebration of the wonders of urbanism. After reading it, you couldn't help but feel that cities are our best chance at creating healthy, sustainable, and wealthy communities.
But in listening to Glaeser throughout this pandemic I have noticed that his commentary on the future of cities hasn't been filled with unbridled optimism. You get the sense from him that cities are at a crossroads. This is not to say that city life will not persist, because it will. Cities are powerfully resilient. But not all cities are created equal. Some will continue to flourish in this new economy, but others will not.
This is one of the arguments that they make in this new book and I'm looking forward to reading it once it lands in my Kindle app.
Years ago I wrote about a book that venture capitalist Albert Wenger was writing -- in public I would add -- called The World After Capital. The public bit is interesting. As he was writing the book over the last ten years or so, he did it in public and published drafts along the way. This allowed him to get feedback, learn things, and revise accordingly. He calls this a "knowledge loop" and it ties in nicely with some of the topics that he covers in the book.
The first focus of the book is on explaining that capital (which was a constraint of industrialization) is no longer scarce. This isn't necessarily true everywhere, but he argues that it is true in the developed world. What is instead scarce today is attention. That is our defining constraint as we continue to move into the Knowledge Age. The second focus of his book is on how he thinks we should best respond to these changes, as well as to the limitations of capitalism.
I haven't read the book yet (only scanned it), but it's now in my queue. Normally my queue consists of a stack of partially read books next to my bed. But this one is digital only for the time being. If you'd like to read a digital copy (there's a downloadable PDF), go here. Apparently there will also be a hard copy available sometime later this year or early next year.
Gestalten and SPACE10 have a new book out that I think many of you may want to add to your library. It's called The Ideal City, and it's all about what's next when it comes to cities. Here's a short excerpt from the publisher:
Urban life is humankind’s biggest experiment to date, our cities are constantly evolving and adapting to climate and economy. The cities we have today are not necessarily the ones we need, but big and small innovation is rethinking visions of urbanization. Together with pioneering research and design lab SPACE10, we present future-orientated design which enhances quality of life and makes our urban spaces more vibrant.
As technology and urban life edge ever closer, The Ideal City explores the ambitious actions and initiatives being brought to life across the globe to meet tomorrow’s demand in clever, forwarding-thinking ways. From pedestrian infrastructure to housing, the book uncovers what is being discussed at the forefront of urbanism through expert essays and profiles.
Image: Gestalten
As technology and urban life edge ever closer, The Ideal City explores the ambitious actions and initiatives being brought to life across the globe to meet tomorrow’s demand in clever, forwarding-thinking ways. From pedestrian infrastructure to housing, the book uncovers what is being discussed at the forefront of urbanism through expert essays and profiles.
Image: Gestalten
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