Back in 1975, a notable (and nearly clairvoyant) economics journalist named Norman Macrae accurately predicted the rise of computers in our homes and offices. And then he explained how that would impact our work life: “Once workers could communicate with their colleagues through instant messages and video chat, he reasoned, there would be little coherent purpose to trudge long distances to work side by side in centrally located office spaces. As companies recognized how much cheaper remote employees would be, the computer would, in effect, kill the office.” A decade or two ago, I would have agreed with Norman Macrae. But I live in the heart of tech world, and my commute this morning was hell. Something has happened that I never would have predicted: Cities are more crowded than ever. Here’s CityLab: The Economics of the Office: Why Do We Still Commute (and could virtual reality finally change that)? Here’s a possible story twist that few of us saw coming: Maybe constantly interfacing with screens has increased our yearning for in-person human interactions. (And I’m positing that theory as one who’s never been a huge fan of in-person human interactions.)

+ Seattle City Councilman Mike O’Brien: “I’ve got economically zero unemployment in my city, and I’ve got thousands of homeless people that actually are working and just can’t afford housing. There’s nowhere for these folks to move to. Every time we open up a new place, it fills up.” From AP: Growing homeless camps contrast with West Coast tech wealth.