CEOs for Cities has highlighted a Boston Globe article that just might explain why cities continue to "endure as wellsprings of intellectual life".
The article reports on recent research by
Sante Fe Institute scientists that used complex mathematical algorithms to show that the same urban features that trigger lapses in attention and memory -- crowded streets, noise, and sometimes crushing density -- also correlate with measures of innovation.
The reason is the large amount of unpredictable, social interactions and exchanging of ideas that having such a concentrated pool of talent facilitates.
Consequently, dense cities such as Cambridge continue to be creative centers, while less-dense cities, such as Phoenix, may end up generating less innovation as they mature.
Read the full article
here.
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