"Michael S. Lorrey" <mike@datamann.com> writes:
> Anders Sandberg wrote:
>
> > When I become an aristos, I plan to build vertical cities on my
> > beanstalks and keep most of the planet below as parkland. My biggest
> > problem is simply getting enough people to fill out a few 35,000
> > kilometer long cities... (xoxed uploads don't count, since they will
> > likely not need much buildings)
>
> Ah, but thats the rub. Vertical transport of mass is a waste of
> energy. Its the main reason why the multi-floored mills along the
> rivers of the eastern US lost out competetively to single floor
> factories elsewhere. Using a narrow footprint/large vertical
> structure is economical for industries that involve the transport of
> information, which is why you don't see automobiles being made in
> skyscrapers. The bankers, lawyers, architects, and other executive
> disciplines locate in such structures because their main product,
> information is relatively massless and of extremely high value per
> lb. Software companies should be located in skyscrapers, not in
> office parks.
Which is of course a rather likely situation in a society able to
build beanstalks anyway. My idea is mostly architecture, not practical
city planning (which is of course a sign it will never be built :-)
> But you knew this Anders, I posted this to the list three years ago... ;)
Yes, I actually seem to recall your post.
-- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Anders Sandberg Towards Ascension! asa@nada.kth.se http://www.nada.kth.se/~asa/ GCS/M/S/O d++ -p+ c++++ !l u+ e++ m++ s+/+ n--- h+/* f+ g+ w++ t+ r+ !y
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