It was believed that the Internet and mobile communications, then infant technologies, would make it unnecessary for people to live in crowded and expensive urban hubs. Instead, cities like New York and London have experienced sharp increases in population since 1990, after decades of decline.
在1990年代时，许多专家建议说科学技术将淘汰城市。他们相信当时尚处萌芽状态的互联网和移动通讯会使得人们不再需要住在拥挤而高生活成本的城市地区。但事实上在经历了数十年的人口流出之后，像纽约和伦敦这样的城市自1990年以来都出现了人口暴涨。