The rise and fall of civilizations is a all-too-well-known phenomenon. Changing the disruptive forces in these sequential cycles is an interesting challenge to ponder and a worthy goal to achieve. But, how?
Do you need to have a plan for the path? Do you need to know why you choose the new path and what the pitfalls are?
I would imagine that such a new path would include various concurrent rise and fall cycles peacefully co-existing in one unified path. There might be other ways as well, but the cycle itself seems part of our nature.
In the co-existence model, education and tolerance, which can go hand-in-hand, would be important for success. But, is trying to support and direct the cycle just encouraging the cycle to succeed?
What are other pitfalls?
As humans, we can hope that the new global economy reduces some of the severity of that ebb and flow of civilization.
History reveals the constant changes; this cycle of creation & destruction of cultures, are like the beating of our hearts, where each high and low contribute to keep life flowing through civilization, to keep us growing and maturing.
Should civilization rest on a high? Would it be good if progress had stood still at the time of Imperial Europe, or Byzantium, or Rome?
Each high is good in some way for all of mankind, and the lows are changes, which propel us forward, are for the greater good. Even if that progress is at the suffering of some individuals, cities and even cultures.
Can we stabilize civilization, protecting knowledge with pockets of protected cultures & structures? Should civilization inoculated by seeding education institutions, or libraries as grand as that of ancient Alexandria?
I believe that a lot of modern sprawl was an attempt to protect civilization against attacks against central institutions and other acts of terrorism.
Unfortunately that also led to great strains on the ecology, economies, and political balkanization.
The current global advancement of civilization will hopefully allow us to consolidate our gains (each region & culture in it’s own way), and repair & reduce damage to our ecosphere.
As capitalists & human beings what we can do is offer solutions.:
The Internet, with its ability to share unrestrained knowledge, in an anti-totalitarian way, with resolute individualism, is already providing the bonding force to keep a positive direction for the progress of civilization.
Among those solutions we can offer mankind & civilization, I believe that Arcologies will become a critical physical opportunity. That is why I am eagerly following your City 2.0 concept with hope. By some of the responses here, and via the media, it would seem that there are many who share this feeling.
Despite globalization and emerging information technologies. One thing will never fail us. People with inexhaustible greed. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Even in a democracy we are seemingly willing to remove ourselves far enough from the ability to choose who runs our country that we will never have any choice but to repeat history over and over again. As has always ruined every civilization, greed will once again ruin ours. As well as the one to succeed to. And the one after that. And the one after that. Pessimistic I know, but I don’t believe greed is on it’s way out.