Richard Florida’s Frankenstein Moment

We live in an electronic age in which it seems almost everything can be done remotely. With email, Skype and collaborative tools in the cloud, we no longer need to share the same physical space in order to pursue much of our work. And globalization, online payments, ubiquitous delivery and endlessly streaming media mean that we can purchase and consume seemingly anything from anywhere without leaving our homes.

So at first glance it seems paradoxical that, at the same time, increasing numbers of people now want to work, live and play in the same concentrated urban spaces, triggering a revitalization of the downtowns of many prominent cities. Meanwhile, consumers increasingly value local goods and idealize a direct, in-person relationship with the people who make our stuff. Farmers’ markets are expanding, restaurants serving local food from open kitchens are booming, artisans who make things by hand are thriving.

Perhaps it is not such a paradox, though...