Acclaimed Author Parag Khanna On Today's Rapidly Changing World: “Be Mobile, Embrace Nomadism”
I [Diamond-Michael Scott] am a perpetual wanderer. Curiosity seeker. Deep thinker. Minimalist
The life of a location-independent nomad has long appealed to me. I’ve set foot in 46 of the 50 U.S. and consider Denver, Las Vegas, San Diego, and Chicago my locational hubs.
I embrace a virtual lifestyle encompassing bohemian coffeehouses and coworking spaces. I’ve also been vehicle free since 2012, logging nearly 1,000 rides through the car sharing service Lyft.
In a recent online seminar hosted by the real estate innovation platform CRETech, globalization scholar Parag Khanna talked about the shifting forces impacting today’s global landscape, encouraging viewers to “be mobile and embrace nomadism.”
He is the author of the soon-to-be-released MOVE: The Forces Uprooting Us, which he says is “fundamentally a book about geography,” tracing the return of our nomadic roots as a species. In it, Khanna takes us on a wandering trek into the post-pandemic future where humanity gets moving again.
Khanna’s bold, essential, and practical prescriptions are designed, he says, to address four powerful factors impacting our world today
Forest Fires
Sea Level Rise
Covid 19
Economic Depression
In his presentation to CRETech, he offered his thoughts on a few emerging trends to keep an eye on:
The switch of the most valuable real estate from coastal to inland/elevated regions.
The emergence of “Circular Cities” that are environmentally robust and provide greater mobility for its citizens —- “Be prepared for more mobility.”
A global war for the next generation of young talent that’s fueled by the growing demographic imbalances taking place in the world
The growing importance of Urban Wealth Fund models where a greater emphasis is placed on repurposing built environment assets in cities. He cited Salt Lake City as one such model
I was particularly struck by his remarks about America’s 150 million youth, which he views as our nation’s future. His sentiments are best captured on his website where he states that these youth shouldn’t be “stuck in dead-end retail gigs but circulating in electric RVs, remotely learning coding and engineering, and following “Tinder for jobs” apps that match skills to work.
Parag Khanna’s passionate desire to remap America, and the world, is one I truly resonated with. He believes this will require nothing less than a Manifest Destiny where Americans once again extol the benefits of physical mobility as the most sustainable path to socio-economic expansion. This new American Dream, he says, will be defined not by homes and degrees but by mobility and skills.
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