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.