One thing that I've been thinking about this week is people's (subconscious) decision to live in a city.
With 55% of the world's population now living in some sort of urban jungle, and the rise of technology, I think the process of urbanising our world may be reaching its peak, and that we may see the masses flock to cheaper, cleaner, quieter, more rural areas (at least in the developed world).
Before we think about why people may start to counter-urbanise, we gotta look at why they choose to go there in the first place. And after doing some reading & thinking, I only have one legitimate answer. Employment. There are simply more jobs, boasting better pay in urban areas. Sure, the nightclubs are enticing, and the variety of food is stronger, but those are additional benefits. Irrespective if you were born in some Indian farm village with 29 habitants, or in downtown Manhattan or if you're an academically gifted student from the countryside of Ohio, you will likely choose to live in an urban area at some point in your life in seek of better employment.
But, since my good ol' Londoner friend Sir Tim Berners Lee laid the foundations to what we today call the internet, the tide has been changing. People are waking up to the fact that you can efficiently work remotely...from home! GASP!
You mean, no more work commutes?
No toxic gossip sessions?
No rigid work hours?
No more wasting time to convince your boss that you're a busy bee?
Sure, this rule does not apply to EVERYONE, in EVERY country. There will always be exceptions. Nothing is going to replace in-person, human warmth and communication. When 2 people are in a room next to each other, they communicate at a much higher bandwidth through all kinds of subtle, physical signals that they can via video.
But a good chunk of office workers like marketers, consultants and even sales workers can, for the most part, work from home.
The worldwide quarantines that we have been in for the past few months is pure evidence to this claim. You don't have to spend 8 hours sat a desk, five days a week, to get your shit done. With a little dose of dedication and efficiency, you may realise that your daily tasks can in fact be completed in just a few hours.
So, without the obligation of having to go to a shared work place every day, what does that mean for cities? Will the people of earth still want to burden themselves and incur the high living costs and low levels of living standards that come with living in a city?
The age where people wake up earlier than they'd want, in a home that is too small and expensive, and then drive their kids to a school that is again emptying their pockets and then commute to their job that pays them too little might be coming to an end.
60% of Americans do not own more than $1,000 in savings. Urbanisation and overpopulation has decimated the middle class and their sustainability.
Forty-hour workweeks are a relic of the Industrial Age. I think knowledge workers function like athletes. They train and sprint, then rest and reassess.
3 Great Bits of News
Out of the 14,768 weeks that I have lived, this is the one where I have heard most about racial differences & imbalances. Awareness is stronger than ever.
Cycling has increased by 200% in the UK (link).
Paris prepares to open world’s largest urban farm
Best of the Week
Song of the Week
I retreated into the countryside this week for a few days. This song was the vibe.
Wisdom of the Week
It never ceases to amaze me: we all love ourselves more than other people, but care more about their opinion than our own.
Random Fact
Despite this rant that I went on, the current area of urbanisation is less than 1% of the Earth’s surface.
Random Resource
Behavioural Sink - A study that suggests people's behaviour worsens as a result of overcrowding.
Shower Thoughts:
My friend Elsa Konkka really struggles to say her full name in Spanish. She tells someone her name, and they reply "pero donde cojones esta la 'K' en Elsa?"