

Then people can recombine those ideas with other ideas to make new innovations. The close physical proximity of cities makes learning new skills and copying other ideas much easier.Migrating to the city is the classic means by which poor people make themselves a bit richer.Now a majority of people in the world live in cities. In agricultural societies about 3% of the people live in towns over 10.000 people. Urbanization has been one of the most powerful trend of the modern world.The city is humanity’s greatest invention.This book is one of the best on the topic. For this reason I argue in my book that trade-based cities are one of Four Keys to Progress.ĭespite their critical importance, surprisingly few books have been written about the role cities have played in economic development and progress. With the exception of agricultural innovations, virtually all innovations in history have taken place in cities. My CommentsĬities have become such obvious generators of innovation and modernity that we often take them for granted.

If you would like to learn more about the role of cities in creating progress, read my book From Poverty to Progress: How Humans Invented Progress, and How We Can Keep It Going. Glaeser explains why cities have played such an important role in technological innovation, economic growth, intellectual change and progress. Title: The Triumph of the City: How Our Greatest Invention Makes Us Richer, Smarter, Greener, Healthier and Happier
