Writer and activist Rebecca Solnit discusses the disappearing city of San Francisco due to the influence of tech firms from Silicon Valley. Topics include the impact of driverless cars on urban streets, corporate automation affecting human interaction, the tech boom's consequences on San Francisco's culture, surveillance and privacy concerns in the digital age, and the plans of wealthy elites to develop a new city near the Bay Area.
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Quick takeaways
Driverless cars in San Francisco causing confusion and safety issues due to struggles with navigation.
Tech billionaires in San Francisco wielding power and influencing societal landscapes through their actions.
Deep dives
The Rise of Driverless Cars in San Francisco
Driverless cars in San Francisco, hailed through apps, are hitting the streets with and without passengers, causing confusion and even blocking emergency vehicles. Despite opposition from city officials, including the fire chief, these autonomous vehicles are being deployed for testing. Issues arise as they struggle to navigate complicated traffic scenarios, leading to accidents and challenges in responding effectively to emergencies.
Tech Influence and Social Isolation in San Francisco
The tech industry's growth in San Francisco has revolutionized the city's landscape, impacting social interactions and urban dynamics. The influx of tech workers has led to a surge in housing prices, contributing to homelessness and a growing wealth gap. The isolation caused by technology, including driverless cars, mirrors a broader trend of disconnection and loneliness exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and changes in societal interactions.
Impact of Tech Billionaires' Influence
Tech billionaires in San Francisco and beyond have wielded immense power, shaping not just the tech industry but also social, economic, and political landscapes. Their actions, including backing political campaigns and influencing city policies, have stirred controversy and gentrification concerns. The secrecy and detachment of these billionaires from the communities they impact highlight the widening disparity between tech elites and the local population.
Consequences of Billionaire-Led Urban Development
The initiative by tech billionaires to build a new city on the outskirts of the Bay Area reflects larger issues of wealth disparity and governance. Despite promises of sustainable development, concerns over environmental impact, governance, and public services persist. The push by the affluent to create exclusive enclaves raises questions about inclusivity, accountability, and the future of urban planning in an era dominated by tech wealth.
Rebecca Solnit has lived in San Francisco since 1980, but the city she used to know is fast disappearing, ‘fully annexed’, as she puts it, by the tech firms from Silicon Valley. In this episode of the LRB podcast, Solnit reads her piece from the 8 February issue of the paper, both a eulogy for the city that’s been lost and a dissection of the dystopia that’s replacing it, ‘returning us’, as she puts it, ‘to a kind of feudalism’.