Most people in the United States live in cities. According to the United States Census Bureau, 63% of the population lives in cities.
The mind-numbing fact is that these cities only cover 3.5% of the land in the country. The population of cities is 45x the density of non-city areas.
No wonder that most people don’t like living in cities.
In an article in the New York Post, people are fleeing New York City at an “alarming” rate. More than 1 million people have moved out of the New York area since 2010.
Clearly, people are preferring a more relaxed life outside of cities.
I predict that cities are dying and people don’t want to live there.
And there is a huge reason for that change.
Until now, you had to live in the location where you worked.
No longer.
Knowledge workers (those who site in front a computer all day) now have options to work anywhere. If the employer has enlightened management.
This is a great country and people have the right to live and work where they want to.
In addition, reducing congestion in the cities has so many benefits for the ecology, our nerves, and room for quiet reflection.
Clearly, it is a good idea for the population to spread out across the country. There are 3.6 million square miles of land outside of cities we can all live in.
When you see decaying cities like Detroit, the incredible crime rate of Chicago, the endless miles and miles of houses in Southern California, your heart will yearn for the wide open spaces.
Researchers found that there is a link between city living and psychosis (see this report in Scientific American). Growing up in a city doubles the chance of developing psychosis later in life.
Can you tell that I enjoy living in a more rural environment? Not so rural that I am in the middle of nowhere – like northern Alaska!
Living costs are lower in rural areas.
Crime is lower in rural areas.
That does not even begin to take into account how the pollution of cities hurts your body!
Or the significant rat problem in New York City!
Rural living isn’t perfect but, in my view, much better than cities.
This should cause a great attack from people who love living in cities!
In another blog post, I am going to discuss how the dismantling of cities will be good for businesses.