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I've been thinking about what gives big cities their edge. Why some even become global hubs for particular industries. Two reasons are clearer to me now than th
by Tycho 5y ago
I've been thinking about what gives big cities their edge. Why some even become global hubs for particular industries. Two reasons are clearer to me now than they were in the past:
- Lifestyle advantages of living amongst specialists: people can outsource various chores/tasks/jobs/errands to local specialists who can complete them much more efficiently. For instance imagine if your village doesn't have a plumber and you have to spend much of your own time fixing pipes, rather than focussing on activities where you have comparative advantage.
- Poaching. Modern companies struggle to maintain a competitive advantage since their employees can leave and join their competitors. But key employees will usually have roots in a particular place, so competitors can only hope to lure them away if they co-locate their offices in the same city. So almost all of them do.
That said, the internet has introduced some counter-effects, for instance externalizing specialist knowledge on public websites, and enabling remote working.
- nradov 5y agoDepending on specialists for everything is fragile. What happens when there are no plumbers available at any price? I see it as just sad and pathetic when city dwellers can't even do basic home maintenance like replacing a faucet cartridge or toilet seal.
- ARandumGuy 5y ago> I see it as just sad and pathetic when city dwellers can't even do basic home maintenance like replacing a faucet cartridge or toilet seal. That seems rather harsh. A big reason why "city dwellers" can't do home maintenance is because cities have more renters then owners. When you rent a property, you're strongly encouraged to offload all home maintenance onto your landlord. Not only is the landlord obligated to cover maintenance costs, but they can withhold a deposit (or even outright fine) for any damages done if maintenance is done incorrectly.
- jedberg 5y agoHow far down the rabbit hole are you willing to go? Will you teach yourself how to butcher your own meat so you don't have to rely on a butcher? Teach yourself surgery so you don't have to go to a doctor? Our society thrives because of specialization. It's what allows a person to focus on what they're best at to have the greatest chance at innovation.
- yurishimo 5y agoI think your specialist comment here rings very true. Talk to anyone who grew up on a farm in a small town. Those people are often their own plumber, electrician, construction worker, mechanic, etc on top of their normal jobs! There was a discussion societally around millennials (men in particular) not being as "handy" as their parents, but specialization of those parents is largely the reason. Sure, my dad might have learned how to use a table saw as a teenager in shop class or how to change his car oil from my grandpa, but I only had an art elective available (no shop class option) and my parents were too busy to justify changing oil at home for our econobox cars when the jiffy lube down the street would do it for $40. Now is that a problem for society? That has yet to be proven, especially when you factor in the rise of online teaching through mediums like YouTube. My dad might not have taught me anything handy, but my internet "dads" on YT have taught me many things beyond even what my own father knows. It's a trade off and I don't see us reverting as a society anytime soon.
- oh_sigh 5y agoThere's channels that will even let you call them dad, e.g. the "dad, how do I..." with 3m+ subscribers https://youtube.com/channel/UCNepEAWZH0TBu7dkxIbluDw https://youtube.com/channel/UCNepEAWZH0TBu7dkxIbluDw