Digital Geography: The Remaking Of City And Countryside In The New Economy

Analysts Joel Kotkin and Fred Siegel argue that the traditional descriptors of American communal life—city, town, and village—may have to be modified to better reflect the demographic changes instigated by the new digital economy. Better terms, suggest Kotkin and Siegel, include midopolis and nerdistan, each signifying a locale containing resources, services, and entertainment that attract workers skilled in high-tech fields. Midopolises, such as Silicon Valley, are places originally designed for science-based industries but are now shifting their focus to high-tech firms. Nerdistans, such as Irvine, California, are new suburb-like areas that are officially designed to accommodate the new “techies.” Unfortunately, they note, many traditional big cities not actively courting these new entrepreneurs and businesspeople can look forward to periods of decline, while the surrounding areas overtake them economically and culturally. Here are just a few of the changes Americans can expect in the coming century.