Today places where human intelligence congregates are the ones that have become the centers of prosperity. Thus in the digital age business location is no longer determined by the traditional dictates of the Old Economy but more on where people want to live, work and start their businesses. Continuing in this vein, one could say that we have conquered distance. For many New Economy business executives this is a romantic notion made possible by technology. This at best is a nomadic, exhausting and unsustainable lifestyle, with frequent-flier miles as currency and a fierce loyalty to a single airline.
Some futurists even suggest that the cities of the future are essentially anti-spatial.
In other words, the worldwide computer network has become the worldwide marketplace and is redefining not only our businesses but also our communities and urban life. I think that in the age of the Internet location matters a great deal. It matters because knowledge workers are a fairly sophisticated bunch. They value access to universities as well as K-12 education, cultural richness, civic virtue, choice in housing, choice in transportation, diversity of employment opportunities, a healthy physical environment, good food and good coffee. Location matters because we have a basic need for belonging to a place.