A recent article, in the Economist, compared London and Paris on a variety of fronts. What struck me as the most interesting was the comparison made between the two countries regarding their societal focuses. Paris, it seems, is focused on preserving the past and does so through the restoration of old buildings, preservation of artifacts, etc. London, on the other hand, was shown as a society who is innovative because the article argued there was less to preserve- no gastronomic tradition, per se, no noteworthy skyline, etc. The article then raised a question that I wish to take up in further detail: “How can you create a desire to innovate when the ambient culture is oriented towards preservation?”

(more…)