The Forbes, February 16, 2009 issue reports on Dalton Conley’s new book, Elsewhere, USA, as foreseeing a new type of town:
"Expect 'total institution' corporate towns, which will look something like a cross between the employee-coddling Google-plex in Mountain View, California and the 19th-century mining town where the company provided the grocery store, the school and even the church."
The extent to which this prediction is accurate remains to be seen. But one thing is certain and has been true for quite some time: The quality of caring that exists on the part of a city for the companies that locate there is extremely important.
Technology continues to change the degree of freedom of workers to make decisions about how, when and where they will work. As a result the option to live or locate “Elsewhere” is an increasing possibility.
Read further about Elsewhere, USA at http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2009/0216/022.html
Showing posts with label small cities. Show all posts
Showing posts with label small cities. Show all posts
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Daily Blog: Elsewhere USA
For the past several weeks in my hometown of Abilene, Texas the city-wide United Way campaign has touted a two-word message: Live United.
It’s nice advice, if one is interested in the notion of building a strong spirit of community. But as a goal, it’s not easily reached. One of the reasons, among many, is the ongoing challenge of using the new developments in technology in ways that are not harmful to the community.
Dalton Conley, a sociologist at New York University, has titled his new book Elsewhere, USA, suggesting some things we should consider about the way we live and work.
Among his observations, Conley says many of today’s working professionals are becoming “intraviduals” – a term he uses to describe “a new breed of modern American who struggles to manage multiple data streams and competing impulses and even selves.”
To the extent that this description captures those who live in our cities, we face an increasing challenge: How do we control the flow of information so that it serves as a contribution, and not an interruption, to community?
Read further about Elsewhere, USA at http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2009/0216/022.html
It’s nice advice, if one is interested in the notion of building a strong spirit of community. But as a goal, it’s not easily reached. One of the reasons, among many, is the ongoing challenge of using the new developments in technology in ways that are not harmful to the community.
Dalton Conley, a sociologist at New York University, has titled his new book Elsewhere, USA, suggesting some things we should consider about the way we live and work.
Among his observations, Conley says many of today’s working professionals are becoming “intraviduals” – a term he uses to describe “a new breed of modern American who struggles to manage multiple data streams and competing impulses and even selves.”
To the extent that this description captures those who live in our cities, we face an increasing challenge: How do we control the flow of information so that it serves as a contribution, and not an interruption, to community?
Read further about Elsewhere, USA at http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2009/0216/022.html
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