Well-written piece though, I am not entirely sure that I agree.
Cities are becoming less and less polluted with technological progress, not more. We might bemoan a smoggy day today, but just a few generations ago, our water was foul with disease, and streets stank of horse manure and urine.
Green spaces are great, but attempts at engineering or “planning” cities often backfire. The American suburbs, for example, have plenty of greenery, but relative to cities, are car-dependent, make inefficient use of infrastructure, and (I would wager) have less community interaction.
The creation of zoning laws and other measures ostensibly intended to make our lives better are transformed into tools of rent-seeking and exacerbate wealth inequality.
Also, there is not necessarily a contradiction between economic growth and human progress. GDP per capita is, as I discussed here, a remarkably good indicator of non-financial aspects of human betterment: https://www.lianeon.org/p/does-material-progress-matter
First of all I want to say thanks for reading my piece, your kind comment and providing this in depth response. It's great to be challenged on the points raised and I appreciate that.
US cities tend to have more space and better layouts so it's probable that the pollution levels there are better than Europe.
But you also have to consider other types of pollution, particularly light and noise. These are irritants to our senses which harm us greatly. Noise pollution for example increase risks of strokes and heart disease.
Your point regarding the suburbs is correct and can certainly relate it to Europe too. People that live in suburbs are more likely to use a car than those in the city. I suppose the argument would be for less commercial buildings in cities and more green spaces in their place. With remote working, fewer office blocks are necessary.
I like your comment on zoning laws. It's certainly not a topic I've spent time researching and would like to know more about this. I'll look into it more but feel free to drop some info that you feel might be helpful :)
Your article on GDP was great, well explained and an enjoyable read. While I admit I do bemoan GDP a ton, it's undeniable that the underlying metrics that make up GDP is one of the main reasons the modern world has been lifted our of "poverty".
I suppose my point is, even with GDP increasing YoY, we seem to have less wealth overall whilst coping with a lower quality of living standards. You could certainly argue that is relative however.
Financially however, millennials as a whole for example barely have any assets, have significant debt and almost no savings. Of course there are a myriad of reasons as to why but it does beg the question; has this rampant economic progress benefitted the majority?
I read the Guardian article, it does not claim that pollution is getting worse, only that it is still a problem. It also notes, going along with my thesis, that pollution is worse in areas of Europe with lower median incomes. I'd be curious to see the data and light and noise pollution as I wonder if its possible to disentangle "noise" with diet and lifestyle factors that correlate with disease of inflammation that characterize pretty much all of modern illnesses, heart attacks included.
Zoning is important. Especially so in the US, zoning has become a tool that homeowners use to increase their wealth. The "Housing Theory of Everything" is likely the core of many societal ills, including the feelings of disenfranchisement felt by the young.
Well-written piece though, I am not entirely sure that I agree.
Cities are becoming less and less polluted with technological progress, not more. We might bemoan a smoggy day today, but just a few generations ago, our water was foul with disease, and streets stank of horse manure and urine.
Green spaces are great, but attempts at engineering or “planning” cities often backfire. The American suburbs, for example, have plenty of greenery, but relative to cities, are car-dependent, make inefficient use of infrastructure, and (I would wager) have less community interaction.
The creation of zoning laws and other measures ostensibly intended to make our lives better are transformed into tools of rent-seeking and exacerbate wealth inequality.
Also, there is not necessarily a contradiction between economic growth and human progress. GDP per capita is, as I discussed here, a remarkably good indicator of non-financial aspects of human betterment: https://www.lianeon.org/p/does-material-progress-matter
First of all I want to say thanks for reading my piece, your kind comment and providing this in depth response. It's great to be challenged on the points raised and I appreciate that.
When it comes to pollution in cities, especially European cities, I think it's certainly less visible but it's not decreasing. A report in the Guardian confirmed this last year; https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/sep/20/revealed-almost-everyone-in-europe-breathing-toxic-air.
US cities tend to have more space and better layouts so it's probable that the pollution levels there are better than Europe.
But you also have to consider other types of pollution, particularly light and noise. These are irritants to our senses which harm us greatly. Noise pollution for example increase risks of strokes and heart disease.
Your point regarding the suburbs is correct and can certainly relate it to Europe too. People that live in suburbs are more likely to use a car than those in the city. I suppose the argument would be for less commercial buildings in cities and more green spaces in their place. With remote working, fewer office blocks are necessary.
I like your comment on zoning laws. It's certainly not a topic I've spent time researching and would like to know more about this. I'll look into it more but feel free to drop some info that you feel might be helpful :)
Your article on GDP was great, well explained and an enjoyable read. While I admit I do bemoan GDP a ton, it's undeniable that the underlying metrics that make up GDP is one of the main reasons the modern world has been lifted our of "poverty".
I suppose my point is, even with GDP increasing YoY, we seem to have less wealth overall whilst coping with a lower quality of living standards. You could certainly argue that is relative however.
Financially however, millennials as a whole for example barely have any assets, have significant debt and almost no savings. Of course there are a myriad of reasons as to why but it does beg the question; has this rampant economic progress benefitted the majority?
I read the Guardian article, it does not claim that pollution is getting worse, only that it is still a problem. It also notes, going along with my thesis, that pollution is worse in areas of Europe with lower median incomes. I'd be curious to see the data and light and noise pollution as I wonder if its possible to disentangle "noise" with diet and lifestyle factors that correlate with disease of inflammation that characterize pretty much all of modern illnesses, heart attacks included.
Zoning is important. Especially so in the US, zoning has become a tool that homeowners use to increase their wealth. The "Housing Theory of Everything" is likely the core of many societal ills, including the feelings of disenfranchisement felt by the young.