[mrguyorama]

Well part of that has to do with a significant amount of the value add of a dense area like a city is doing things that involve lots of people, especially people who are somewhat strangers. This isn't exactly possible when there's a plague.

That doesn't make those activities consumerist though.

[Nasrudith]

Really much of the "consumerism" is a fundamental of civilization and complexity - specialization yields benefits. Production is geared to what they are "best" at economically for better yields. Consumption still occurs even when DYIed paired with production. It may even be more wasteful ironically. To go a bit anti-Nilhist meaning is what you make it - one can reasonably find both labor and consumption to fufill requirements meaningless.