March 29, 2024
Today, some 56% of the world’s population – roughly 4 out of 10 people – live in cities. But this percentage is projected to rise to nearly 70% by 2050. That is, every 7 out of 10 inhabitants will be living in urban centres by then! This projection may come true – as cities act as magnets, attracting people with opportunities across all aspects of life. But my hope is that technology could prove to be a disruptor. Imagine what would happen if technology can deliver the jobs of the cities – and city education and modern healthcare, to people in small towns and villages! It can slow or stall or even reverse urbanisation. Lower levels of urbanisation are associated with reduced mobility – limited or no mobility is better than green mobility.
The last time when people seriously considered moving to villages was during the pandemic. Not on account of any tech disruption, but for risk mitigation. Compared to the over-crowded cities, the sparsely populated rural areas provided a natural barrier for the infection to spread. But when I moved from Chennai to Rajapalayam, my hometown, about over 12 years before the pandemic, it was for a few idealistic reasons. One of them was to provide my children an experience of growing up in a small town, and develop a strong bonding with their native place. I was a journalist working for a national newspaper. Since the internet was already available and I can work and deliver content online, I could launch a career as a freelance writer