That's What I am Talking About

There is no doubt that we have over-reacted to the filth of industrialization that plagued our cities early in the industrial age. The information age has let us stay in suburbia and remain connected through fiber optic cables and a strong information infrastructure that means we don't have to be downtown to know what is going on. But, is our lifestyle sustainable? Should we not feel the shame of abusing the rest of the planet for our spacious sense of freedom? Take a look at James Howard Kunstler's video, The tragedy of suburbia, and think it through. James' language gets a little risque at times, but I share his anger at what we've done. As a result, I find great comic relief in his presentation.

Virtual cities can let us experience the difference between a suburban emphasis on life in America versus an urban emphasis. Let's walk about in the virtual and see which life we prefer more. Sure James includes some slides on how to retrofit our suburban wastelands into places we'd like to spend time in, but the transition is not as obvious as it could be with a virtual city platform, eh?