Living in a Paved World

Find out why Edward Glaeser, a Harvard economist, calls cities our greatest invention. And then, consider the advice the apostle had for Christians living in arguably the biggest and most influential city in the then-known world.

The world is paved.

And that's not a bad thing. At least according to a Harvard economist named Edward Glaeser.

Most of the places people prefer to live are paved. Today, more than half of the world's population lives in urban areas, and there's a steady stream of people moving from the countryside to the city. In fact, five million people in the developing world make the move every month.

So why is this good news? In his new book Triumph of the City, Glaeser calls cities "our species' greatest invention." When people live near each other, they become more inventive -- good thinkers inspire each other. People also tend to be more productive and specialized when they are close to each other. Surprisingly, living in a paved world is also good for the planet: City-dwellers are more likely to travel by foot, bus or train than the car-driving residents of suburbia and the countryside.

As strange as it sounds, New York City is actually Green.

What makes cities successful is their ability to...