2. Competitive advantage of the functional economy

Popular wisdom has it that "when building goes, everything goes". Come to think of it, this formulation is typical of the entrepreneurial culture of the construction industry. In fact, it's not the building industry that drives the economy; it's merely a reflection of the level of economic activity. It's true that, especially in times of crisis, Keynesianists advocate stimulating the economy through major construction projects. But, once again, the impetus is not a reflection on the living environment, but solely a political will to create jobs.

Functional economics takes a completely different view. It's no longer a question of enduring economic conditions, but rather of taking a much more stable view of societal evolution. Construction is, by its very nature, the environment in which a social group evolves, and all the more so given that urbanization is now an...