James Howard Kunstler is an
American author, social critic, public speaker, and blogger. He is best known
for his books The
Geography of Nowhere: The Rise and Decline of America's Man-Made
Landscape, a
history of American suburbia and urban development, and the more recent The
Long Emergency: Surviving the End of Oil, Climate Change, and Other Converging
Catastrophes. In the latter book he argues that declining oil production
is likely to result in the end of industrialized society as we know it and
force Americans to live in smaller-scale, localized, agrarian (or
semi-agrarian) communities.
Kunstler doesn’t hold back as he unloads on both these
themes in this very entertaining but important TED talk, which he delivered in
2007. Kunstler also believes that public spaces should be inspired centres of
civic life, and the physical manifestation of the common good. Unfortunately,
America, he argues, is in danger of becoming a nation of places not worth
caring about.
James Howard Kunstler calls suburban sprawl “the greatest
misallocation of resources the world has ever known,” and his arguments focus
directly on urban development, drawing clear connections between physical
spaces and cultural vitality. His confrontational approach and propensity for
doomsday scenarios make Kunstler a lightning rod for controversy and critics.
But his magnificent rants are underscored with logic and his books are widely
read, particularly by architectural critics and urban planners.
“The upside of
Kunstler's anger is that he's getting people to sit up and take notice.”
~ Outside magazine
Note: This talk contains numerous ‘F’ bombs, so if you are
offended by coarse language you may want to skip this weeks TED on Tuesday.
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