The Growing Climate of Change

Researcher Geoffrey West, a physicist by trade, believes he has begun to plumb the depths of what makes cities tick. As he says, ‘We all know that every city is unique...Sure there are differences, but different from what? We’ve found the what.’

He believes the what is connected to the rate of change. His research indicates that ‘whenever a city doubles in size, every measure of economic activity, from construction spending to the amount of bank deposits, increases about 15 percent per capita.’

Thus, the belief goes something like this...as cities grow, they find ‘unique’ ways to handle the rapidly growing population. These creative, ‘unique’ solutions spur economic growth at a greater rate as all phases of the business community seek to support and capitalize upon, the growing population base.

West warns, however, that this is not a completely win-win proposition: ‘There is a serious complication to this triumphant narrative of cliff edges and creativity, however. Because our lifestyle has become so expensive to maintain, every new reource now becomes exhausted at a faster rate. This means that the cycle of innovations has to constantly accelerate, with each breakthrough providing a shorter reprieve. The end result is that cities aren’t just increasing the pace of life; they are also increasing the pace at which life changes.’

So, as we leap into 2011, here at Peripetee we are pledged to helping you create unique opportunities to tell the story of what is happening in your business, not-for-profit or ministry group within this climate of rapid cultural change. Let’s partner together to share the light of what is happening in new and innovative ways with the community around us.

Grace and Peace...