The reason for these changes, in part, is the Internet. What we're really seeing is the emergence of "24-hour cities," a new lifestyle made possible by technology and the search for efficiency.

I suspect the report authors are on to something, and yet while technology changes with rapidity I'm not so sure about human preferences.

Shopping malls, as an example, have always faced competition from catalogs, and yet there's room for both.

Big-box warehouses surely work well for big companies -- Amazon has 2.7 million square feet of warehouse space -- and yet there are a lot of smaller companies with space requirements.

We already have 24-hour core areas such as Manhattan and downtown Chicago, and yet a whole bunch of people would rather live where life is less hectic.

As to being the first with a major project, did you ever meet a developer who did not think his or her project was unneeded or second-best?

Moreover, the real contest is not e-commerce versus bricks-and-mortar, it's the transition to a clicks-and-bricks marketplace. In time you'll be able to compare prices with other outlets, check to see what's in stock in a local store before leaving home, decide to pick-up goods locally or have them delivered, return stuff locally, and check your account electronically.

In effect, shopping online does not mean local stores will be abandoned, rather it means that more choices will emerge.

In looking toward the future, I agree that the Internet has much to offer, and yet I would hope we desire more than to live in communities designed largely to assure that worker bees are efficient and productive.

It's a matter of personal preference, I'm sure, but somehow when I hear predictions of coming change I keep thinking about Gandhi and his remark that "there is more to life than increasing its speed."

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Question Of The Week

Q: A home is for sale with seller financing. Is this something which should worry a buyer?

A: There are two issues here.

First, is the home a good deal with a price and terms which are acceptable to you? Can you get a like house nearby with a better price and terms?

Second, is the loan from the seller a good deal compared with other mortgage options? For instance, what happens if a payment is late? Are there interest escalator clauses? Are you getting a "mortgage" or a "trust?" Before signing anything with anyone, the complete loan agreement should be reviewed by your attorney.

Weekly Resource