Stewart Brand: Why squatter cities are a good thing

http://www.ted.com Rural villages worldwide are being deserted, as billions of people flock to cities, to live in teeming squatter camps and slums. And Stewart Brand says this is a good thing. Why? It'll take you 3 minutes to find out. Music: Brian Eno, "Just Another Day on Earth," from his 2005 album Another Day on Earth (Hannibal).

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Stewart
• Brand
• Ted
• tedtalks
• business
• cities
• culture
• future
• global
• issues
• poverty
• technology

[agrus001]

this video taught me nothing.

[BMS1974]

When are some people going to realise finances are not the meaning of life, human needs are limited, but human wants are probably infinite, do you want to keep playing games we can not win at the cost of precious existence, even if you 'win' and become rich you will still die and eventually even memories of the rich man will die, perhaps it would be better to place a higher value on human emotions and relationships.

[nooneisusingthisname]

I found this speech to be excellent and informative, if a bit rushed.

[musharrafdog]

Stewart, what about people who are displaced in China and forcibly moved by the government for infrastructure projects, in huge swaths of Africa for multinational agriculture conglomerates, or in Colombia where fields are fumigated in the drug war and then mined by multinationals (Colombia has second largest refugee population in the world.) Are these people moving to those great favelas because of the exciting "urban air"?

[5random1]

@agrus001

judging by the intro and follow ads, all those billions heading to cities are making way for a few, very few, drivers of BMW to roam their former lands

pretty sick 'philosophy'

[discipleoftheteapot]

the slides moved too quickly

[eugenicsdebate]

Squatter cities may be climbing out of poverty, but like economist John Maynard Keynes said, "in the long run we're all dead." Malnutrition and child labor is an unacceptable way to end poverty. These people need a solution to end poverty that does not take generations to fix.

[mintyvision]

if you didnt get the message of this lecture then evidently your not particularly bright. its all pretty damn simple. he makes some good pro capitalist points.

[melodious7777]

@electricaura Totally agree.

[Nonoyawns]

Good speech. Good points made in favor of capitalism increasing the living standards of humans, not that those indoctrinated in the political style of the day will recognize this. Somewhat unclear points at time, and honestly, the power-point should've gone much slower! Some of us like to READ them!