"America is not a single country. It is a collection of seven competitive nations and three quasi-independent city-states, each with its own tastes, proclivities, resources and problems.鈥�
So writes geographer and futurist Joel Kotkin for Forbes Magazine. In , entitled America鈥檚 Next Decade, Kotkin sees not only the outlines of a remarkably robust nation running from south Texas to western Florida, but also the emergence of Americas next major "global city" - right here in Texas.
"To a large extent we鈥檙e a nation of nations that are sleeping together and dreaming different dreams," Kotkin says. "What works and makes sense, lets say for the Northeast, doesn鈥檛 make a whole hell of a lot of sense on the Third Coast 鈥� the Gulf Coast.鈥�
And the nation Austin aligns with may surprise you. Listen to KUT's interview with Kotkin in the player above, and at Forbes.
