I've seen some videos on TikTok by stonemasons who are re-building the decorative shapes in chunks of marble; it's very cool to watch and see them doing it.
It's probably not even remotely economic or "productive", but sometimes that's OK.
It's probably not even remotely economic or "productive", but sometimes that's OK.
The vast majority of human activity isn't productive. And that's awesome. We've got so much wealth that we can afford to use it on things that are merely pretty or interesting, like video games and space telescopes and flowers.
It would be nice if we could use more of it to ensure that people have the basics, but that's rarely about lack of money. It's nearly always due to some more systemic problem that can't be fought just by throwing money at it.
It likely has economic impact vastly larger than any Starbucks via tourism.
A week-long golf tournament in my town brings in 200k+ people and local government touts a $190M economic impact number for that. I'm sure it's fudged to be as high as possible, but pretending Notre Dame doesn't have an economic benefit to Paris would be odd.
That seems entirely up to you.
We can do both. Man does not live by bread alone. Utilitarian mediocrity is satisfied with a full stomach and keeping warm.
Of course it was a draw to Paris in general. It's hard to measure its impact, since the cathedral fire coincides with COVID, but Paris tourism has nearly reached pre-pandemic levels and remains the most-visited city in the world.
I don't honestly believe it would be a net economic benefit to put a Starbucks there. But more to the point, the whole thing is there just because people like to look at it. That's all the "productivity" it needs.
Yes, it is the lack of action. People are selfish. End of story. We have the tech and knowledge to fix it all, but burning a ton of kerosene to travel to the other side of the world for 2 a weeks vacation is more desirable.
So, while some of the specifics are probably having to be identified and re-implemented, the basics are broadly understood. Stonemasons as a mass-employer has gone away, but like blacksmithing there are still individuals out there who carry on the tradition.