The Final Discussion Question!

You see how fast time flies when we have fun like how we are having in this course :-)

It is the sixth week of the term, which means we do not have very many left.  Granted that you are very, very, sad that it is all coming to an end so fast (hey, don't chuckle!) I am sure you want a really, really, interesting Discussion Question.  I know I want to read some fantastic responses from you--give it your best shot, particularly because this is the final one.

For this DQ, you will be in one of the two groups:

• Group A: if your last name begins with one of the letters of alphabet A through K
• Group B: if your last name begins with one of the letters of alphabet L through Z

Group A:

your task is to relate the discussions in the text to the article "The city that never sleeps", and explain an issue or two that really deserves our attention.  Key here: link text to the article and then expand on that observation with your comments.

Group B:

your task is to relate the discussions in the text to the article "Will there be cities in a virtual world?", and explain an issue or two that really deserves our attention.  Key here: link text to the article and then expand on that observation with your comments.

Should be engaging.

Telecommunications and the city

Hey, I suppose this term has not been that good for me--minor health issues that prevent me from doing YouTube clips.  It is not that I could not get it done yesterday; I actually did.  But, I suppose the old adage that the face is a reflection of how well we feel is true--I looked and sounded quite horrible.  Well, more horrible than usual :-)  Unlike a regular classroom, a YouTube video with that much negatives ...... well, ....

So, I am going to engage you only through this text/visual email.

You might recall that Onion clip I earlier shared with you--about Blockbuster.   That is pretty much a story of how advances in telecommunications influence the physical built environment of a city.

Historic ‘Blockbuster’ Store Offers Glimpse Of How Movies Were Rented In The Past
One of the interesting issues with telecommunications and the city is whether this will cause dispersal or concentration, which is explored in the text as well.

But then even within the examples discussed in the text, we find that there is a great deal to debate about: for instance, the book presents an argument about universities as an example of geographic concentration.  Now, consider this class--it is online, which actually facilitates geographic dispersal!

In other words, there will be this intense duality of concentration and dispersal, which is not inconsistent with other forms of concentration and dispersal either.  Residential concentration in downtowns versus dispersal into the suburbs and exurbs is another classic example.  Even here, one could argue that telecommunications will facilitate telecommuting and disperse the population even more.  But, humans are not merely about work--families, entertainment, kids and schools, .... all these require geographic concentration.

Economic dispersal has certainly become way too easy thanks to telecommunications.  The growth of Bangalore or Hyderabad as important technology cities in India, while also functioning as the "back office" for the firms here in the US is the kind of geographic dispersal that would blow the minds of a time traveler from even 50 years ago.

So, for now, read the text--should be an interesting and easy reading.  And then read the two articles I have listed for this week.  Then re-read the text.  Why?  The next Discussion Question will be about these, and will be a fascinating one :-)

Feedback on DQ#4, and more--version 2.0

Hey, I had to edit/re-send this because the earlier one got all garbled because of the video that I had embedded there :-(
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It was absolutely disappointing to read this morning about the USC Trojans' loss.  But, I am sure all will be well come August.  Wondering what I am talking about? Wonder no more :-)

For DQ#4, I wanted you to focus on a few concepts:

• The importance of human talent in modern economic georgaphy
• Flexibility of production
• Agglomeration economies (urbanization and localization economies)
  
• The Rust Belt
• The Central Business District (CBD) and suburbs

Thanks to Ashley's response, where she notes that Florida is himself the source for Table 7.3--Software workers in metro areas.  To quote Johnny Carson, "I did not know that!" :-) So, yes, that alone makes a convincing argument that Florida's essay that I had assigned will, after all, be consistent with the arguments in the text regarding the concepts.
BTW, please do not feel slighted if I do not quote from your responses.  It is just that I want to make sure I am able to tell a story before I lose the audience.  What?  Don't leave.  Sit down. :-)

Now, Jessica writes,

Without Western, and the creative and intellectual draw that comes with being a university town, Monmouth would be a sleepy little place with a gas station as a stopping point

Yes, and no.  It is certainly the case that the university is pretty much THE reason for the local economy.  But, our challenge is the same as that of OSU, UO, .....  Which is, such a presence of a knowledge-producing place, and the agglomeration of a highly qualified labor force has not resulted in the kind of large-scale economic transformations that have happened in the San Francisco Bay area, or in Austin, or in North Carolina's "Research Triangle" .....

In other words, we can see a distinction between necessary and sufficient conditions.  A highly qualified youthful labor force is necessary for an area to undergo economic transformation, but that alone is not sufficient.  You probably then want to ask me why we are unable to produce that kind of an effect in Oregon, and what it will take to transform Oregon's sluggish economy.  That is a gazillion dollar question for which if I knew THE reason, well, I will be one rich dude!

Are you still with me?  Hey, I said sit down!!! :-)

Many of you (plug in your name here) pointed out that these geographic and economic transformations point to the "evolution" from a manufacturing-based economy to a very different kind now that seems to involve lots of intangibles.  Yes, true.  And it is also because of the lots of intangibles that Florida focuses what he refers to as the "Creative Class" and which has also received a lot of criticism. 

Now, as much as there is a wonderful circular/cumulative causation that brings together all these concepts, well, we need to keep in mind that these same forces can also come together for everything to unravel really rapidly.  I hate to give away the stories that we will look at the end of this course; so, I will provide you additional stuff!
A recent article--I read this early this morning; that recent--I came across a fascinating exploration of Detroit in a manner that I hadn't thought before.  Now, even in your responses some of you (again, plug your name here) referred to Detroit--how the decline of the auto industry has affected the population and economics of the area.  Well, the writer of this article refers to a "feral Detroit":

in rapidly shrinking Detroit, where tens of thousands of structures have sat empty for years, people are starting to describe houses and neighborhoods as feral—that is, as places where human activity ceased so long ago that nature has reclaimed them.

Read it--a short piece it is--and you will see how everything we have discussed over the last five weeks comes together in a very Halloweenish manner.  The article has a link to this collection of photos that tell stories on how nature is reclaiming Detroit.  Share it with friends and family at Thanksgiving--it will surely generate enough discussions for everybody to forget all about the football games on TV!

Yes, as always, I welcome your rejoinders.  My plans are to do a YouTube clip later today.