It is my observation that the recent branding of citizens as consumers has failed to tap into the potential to use or utilize or exploit citizen roles for the purposes of commerce and trade.



My aperture on the project described in the article is the emerging trend for media citizens, and the multiple exclusive categories of financial functions which run co-valent to micro-, meso-, and macro- categories of policy, expressions of citizen and government modalities.



These citizens will have a meaningful relationship to architecture much as bees and ants integrate with a specific type of structure, which is almost like a monetary policy. The shift in architecture then represents a shift in monetary policy. For example, with Wi-Fi hotspots, there is the recent emergence of virtual currency. In my feeling, this financial difference is more liquid than has been thought. But moreover, the bastions of industry and trade remain relatively reliable in many countries, from the standpoint of a citizen who has income. Yet the modalities of money may be subject to new definitions which fit within the new electronic or architectural function of economies.



For example, the emergence of modular pre-fab housing has in influence on the economy, cities built on the sea effect the economy, and electric cars effect the economy. While it does not always express in numbers, and the effects may not always be known immediately, it seems clear to me that the underriding trend in these things is a reductive correspondence between structure and money.



If that is the case, we should look to architects and other media-oriented thinkers to develop a structural system which is compatible with the most optimum idea of money.



In my view, if the internet cafe is the beginning of this---almost a leisure side of global trade, using an idea similar to the Chinese 'wu wei' or negative space---then clearly one way to develop a vital capital is to develop the concept of internet cafe, work with the principles of architecture and media.



Perhaps, for example, some citizens are willing to pay more money if their basic services are more satisfying. But they would still need to be sold on living that specific lifestyle. So there is a significant amount of marketing involved, perhaps the right idealization for cities which are more often than not, looking to become 'plugged in' 'intelligent cities'. See for example: https://twitter.com/intelcitiesexpo