To me, the author's response is mostly to change of scale. Social intimacy and human connection still exist, just in less populated areas. It's unrealistic to e

To me, the author's response is mostly to change of scale. Social intimacy and human connection still exist, just in less populated areas. It's unrealistic to expect a busy city to stay the same over the course of a lifetime. Also relevant: https://xkcd.com/1601/ https://xkcd.com/1601/.