The Future of Cities Is Flat
Sure Soloists are on the move, but not everyone is moving halfway across the country. Some of them aren’t moving far away at all. But even these small moves will bring big changes to our cities. And our suburbs. (Oh, and the world.)
Chris Fair of Resonance Consultancy
Chris Fair holds a masters degree in Studies of the Future, which sounds far out, but simply means that he applies his knowledge to something close to everyone’s lives: the cities we live in. As president of Resonance Consultancy, based in Vancouver, he leads a team offering strategy, planning and branding for developers and destinations around the world.
He has been featured in Fast Company and is a frequent commentator on lifestyle and leisure trends for leading publications such as The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, The Los Angeles Times, The Economist, Worth, and The Globe and Mail. He designed the World’s Best Cities Index, published by Resonance annually, that analyzes and measures cities based on a benchmarking model that blends stats with consumer ratings and reviews across 23 categories. The result is a measure of place equity – meaning an attractiveness for talent, investment and tourism. Resonance will soon publish a new list, Best Cities for Remote Workers.
We recently spoke to Chris about where people are moving, about what that movement means for infrastructure and local and state budgets, the silver linings of all of this, and why he thinks what he calls a Flat City might be best for everyone.
Show Notes
Resonance: https://resonanceco.com/
The Future of Cities is Flat: https://resonanceco.com/journal/the-future-of-cities-is-flat/
Best Cities 2021: https://www.bestcities.org/reports/2021-worlds-best-cities/
America’s Best Cities: https://www.bestcities.org/reports/2021-americas-best-cities/
The Zoom Town: https://www.wired.com/story/wfh-exodus-creates-opportunity-small-cities/
CBRE Report on Moving Trends: https://www.cbre.com/thewayforward/people-are-moving-but-not-too-far-covid-19s-impact-on-migration-trends?article={dc24e008-8d50-4972-8eb2-19d83bbb7fcc}
Portugal remote visa program: https://www.d7visa.com/portugal-d7-visa/
15 Minute Cities: https://www.15minutecity.com/
Boise: https://www.cityofboise.org/
Provo: https://www.foxbusiness.com/economy/new-tech-utopia-in-provo-utah