There's a question of whether or not those faster transportation systems would be a good long term investment. Create the means for people to spread out more an

There's a question of whether or not those faster transportation systems would be a good long term investment. Create the means for people to spread out more and still enjoy the advantages of cities for just a 10 minute train ride, and people will spread out. But is that scalable in a society where both population growth and economic growth is slowing? The cost of maintaining infrastructure for a suburb is far greater per capita than the cost of maintaining a city. How much more expensive when the whole concept is reliant on the latest mass transit technologies? It seems to me that the marketplace might be providing the best and most practical living arrangements for the long term.