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Why does everybody need to concentrate in huge cities?

If Romans where able to relatively evenly spread their towns and population all over the place in the analogue age, then why aren't we able to do so in the digital age?



Rome may not have invented the apartment block (insula) but they sure were fond of their high density residential/commercial space...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insula_(building)


While being "huge", good European cities are quite homogenous throughout most of the area with 4-6 floor apartment buildings, small businesses in almost every building, parks, schools, good public transport system. They don't feel exactly "huge".


Because ~90% of the population was farming


The principles would be the same even if we concentrated on small cities. A city must promote social diversity to grow the quality of social interaction (even indirect interactions, like walking through a neighborhood built by different ideas and in different styles).


Did Romans enjoy walking to the coffee shop or the grocery store?




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