The Future Of Cities

"As the terrorists intended, the attacks dealt a body blow to the financial-services industry. Now, as firms scramble for space, there is even some question whether New York will remain the country's financial center. If it does not, can New York still thrive? Already, many of those displaced companies are seeking temporary quarters in New Jersey, Connecticut, and elsewhere--while city officials scramble to prevent those moves from becoming permanent.And it's not just the future of one business sector in one city. The disaster raises larger questions about the function and future of all cities. As New York's recovery grinds on, urban scholars, architects, and sociologists expect a new debate on the very viability of cities. Are the benefits of concentrating so many people in a narrow space worth the risks--particularly now when the Internet and other technologies are providing new ways to work?"