Economic Disruptions Will Reshape Our Cities

A network of zero marginal cost, regenerative settlements

We have become accustomed in recent years to talk about economic disruptions. Disruption of the taxi industry by Uber and of the hotel industry by Airbnb. Before that we had the disappearance of film processing stores and music record stores with the arrival of digital photography and music.

With digital technology, the marginal cost of producing music or photos is effectively zero. After the capital outlay, there are no ongoing costs apart from maintenance. Renewable energy and electric vehicles are also zero marginal cost technologies.

We’re now at the stage where we can start imagining what a zero marginal cost economy could look like. Imagine a global network of 3D printers creating any product or part that was needed on demand. This would eliminate the need for mass production, warehousing, complex global distribution chains and retail outlets. Purchases would occur online, with the blueprints then securely transferred directly to the consumer’s nearest 3D printer. In fact, we’re beyond imagining. This is how Amazon disrupted the book publishing industry.

Economics is about how we organise ourselves to satisfy our needs and wants. This ultimately translates into the arrangement of human…