Part 3/11:
These two scenarios embody the harrowing divide of the future, one a ghost town and the other a gilded cage. This narrative is not merely about gradual decline but signals the onset of a great divergence that threatens to split our global society into two disparate realities.
The Engine of Wealth Disparity
The central narrative of the 21st century is the great divergence—the phenomenon wherein a handful of elite super cities emerge as hubs for talent, capital, and innovation, while vast regions languish in neglect. Already, the world’s top 600 urban centers contribute over 60% of global GDP, creating a profound imbalance. The once-thriving industrial and agricultural heartlands are fading into irrelevance.