[macamadamia]

"Wealth matters, as does the critical mass of talent present only in elite cities."

Talent tends to find its way into cities because that is where the MONEY is. IMO, the West (glorious above all else, hahaha!) has flourished because of, for lack of a better word, capitalism; or, how about the free-market (o.k. more or less free). The bustling, rowdy, competitive market place is intimately tied to the West's fantastic record of geniuses.

[RightWhale]

Umberto Eco says the city is a gold mine.

Sure, he says a lot of things.