City of Bits

In the past, we always had to go places to do things; we went to work, we went to school, and sometimes we just went out. Now, the unfolding Digital Revolution has changed things; telepresence is an increasingly viable and attractive alternative to physical presence, and virtual spaces compete with physical venues as sites for many transactions. This does not mean that architecture becomes irrelevant, or that cities will just disappear, but it does suggest that we must fundamentally reconsider our concepts of place and community. The cities of the 21st century will be very different from those we know today.