The C Word
I think it’s easy for us in this class to bash capitalism and point to it as the cause of society’s biggest problems. It’s true that when money is the absolute bottom line and nothing else matters, we will always take advantage of people. Capitalism is just a framework though, a system in which we have done a lot of incredible things as a society. Sadly, just like with any system, there will always be people who exploit it.
But we must remember that capitalism has fueled a level of innovation in this country that is unmatched. When huge rewards require huge risks, people are bold. They dare to innovate; they create transformative solutions. It’s in this environment that companies like Apple and Tesla are born. I mention those two companies specifically because I think comparisons can be drawn between their innovative products and the bold new architecture and urban planning concepts we discuss in class.
The common thread between them: new = expensive.
When Apple released their first personal computer and Tesla their first car, they were anything but affordable. It would be years before the average person could come close to affording one of their products. That’s because they were bold and never seen before. The wealthy are always the first to pioneer new products because they have the disposable income to test out these nonessential luxuries. Now you would be hard pressed to find many houses in America without an Apple product. Think about how they have drastically changed our ability to access information, entertainment, and digital tools. Tesla now has a car for $35,000. They are using these profits to drive another initiative we are passionate about: sustainable energy and transportation.
Now take the example of Greenville who is seeing an incredible population boom (i.e. people are lining up to buy the “product” of Greenville). This boom is sadly pushing people out as we all know. However, it is transforming the way people live in Greenville. There are walkable streets, local businesses, public parks, bike trails, inspiring architecture, etc. Those things are of value. They are expensive right now because they are new.
This is all not to say we take a backseat approach to the difficult issues we discuss in class, hold our hands up and say “it’s just the way it is”. We just need to be aware of the good things happening in cities like Greenville and not push back so much that we lose the very things we worked so hard for. It would be a shame to purposefully “under innovate” our cities because we’re so afraid of pricing anybody out.
But we must remember that capitalism has fueled a level of innovation in this country that is unmatched. When huge rewards require huge risks, people are bold. They dare to innovate; they create transformative solutions. It’s in this environment that companies like Apple and Tesla are born. I mention those two companies specifically because I think comparisons can be drawn between their innovative products and the bold new architecture and urban planning concepts we discuss in class.
The common thread between them: new = expensive.
When Apple released their first personal computer and Tesla their first car, they were anything but affordable. It would be years before the average person could come close to affording one of their products. That’s because they were bold and never seen before. The wealthy are always the first to pioneer new products because they have the disposable income to test out these nonessential luxuries. Now you would be hard pressed to find many houses in America without an Apple product. Think about how they have drastically changed our ability to access information, entertainment, and digital tools. Tesla now has a car for $35,000. They are using these profits to drive another initiative we are passionate about: sustainable energy and transportation.
Now take the example of Greenville who is seeing an incredible population boom (i.e. people are lining up to buy the “product” of Greenville). This boom is sadly pushing people out as we all know. However, it is transforming the way people live in Greenville. There are walkable streets, local businesses, public parks, bike trails, inspiring architecture, etc. Those things are of value. They are expensive right now because they are new.
This is all not to say we take a backseat approach to the difficult issues we discuss in class, hold our hands up and say “it’s just the way it is”. We just need to be aware of the good things happening in cities like Greenville and not push back so much that we lose the very things we worked so hard for. It would be a shame to purposefully “under innovate” our cities because we’re so afraid of pricing anybody out.
Beautifully put, Phil. I think this is a really great outlook that we can have for the future of design and how our innovative concepts in living can help to shape the future of our cities. While the new and cool style of living is expensive now, if we are designing sustainably then years from now hopefully these designs will still be of relevance and 'like' new styles can become more abundant and affordable. The least we can do is try.
ReplyDeleteI think you make some valid points but these cities are becoming better for people who can now afford to be in these cities. The people that were pushed out are no longer using these cities in the same way and some who had easy access to their jobs because of proximity now (especially in the south where public transportation is not very common) now use these cities as solely a workplace then commute back home. The cities will never stop getting more and more expensive as they grow in resources.
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