Local Extra Quality

As we look ahead, several trends suggest that local will only grow in importance.

We often talk about "carbon footprints," but we rarely visualize the journey of our stuff. A plastic toy made in China travels 7,000 miles by boat and truck to reach an American suburban home. A head of lettuce grown in California in January and shipped to New York has a fuel cost higher than its nutritional value. As we look ahead, several trends suggest that

Consumers often use phrases like "best custom cakes in downtown Austin" or "plumber near me" to find services nearby. A head of lettuce grown in California in

Local commerce restores friction—and that friction is good. It is the five-minute conversation with the butcher about how to cook brisket. It is the bookstore owner recommending a novel they actually read. It is the mechanic who waves at you from across the street because he remembers fixing your alternator. These interactions create social capital , the invisible glue that prevents communities from becoming collections of strangers. It is the five-minute conversation with the butcher

The first thing he noticed was the noise. The main roads were a constant roar of combustion engines and road rage. Here, on the side streets, the noise was textured. There was the clatter of a recycling bin being emptied, the distant bark of a dog, the rhythmic thud of a basketball against pavement.