Tuesdays at APA: A Factory in Every Home? New Manufacturing Technologies and Metropolitan Spatial Development

May 20, 2014


Emerging manufacturing technologies, such as 3-D printing,
promise to revolutionize the way things are made. Will they also
revolutionize the spatial pattern of metropolitan development?
Could these technologies lead to a radical decentralization of
manufacturing through the proliferation of artisan-type shops
within the next decade?


In this program, Howard Wial, from the University of Illinois at
Chicago, uses concepts from economic geography to assess the ways
in which emerging manufacturing technologies are and aren't
likely to reshape the physical form of U.S. metropolitan areas
and the location of manufacturers within them. He discusses how
these technologies have the potential to create new opportunities
for small and medium-sized manufacturers and the most likely
locations for new manufacturers. Finally, Wial highlights some of
the freight transportation and workforce development issues
related to increased adoption of emerging manufacturing
technologies.