> The planet is a massive place, the mass majority of it uninhabited. Not for long.
The water, food, and logistics concerns that have driven human habitation patterns forever haven't gone away, and show bo signs of going away for a long time. Is it possible to support habitation in places that aren't currently well-settled? Sure, but it's expensive, and that's not going to change relative to the places that are well-settled.
It's expensive now, but those costs are rapidly decreasing. Drone transportation into and out of once-remotely habitated places will be commonplace by 2050. Those “settlements” will have renewable power, desalination, agriculture, industry even. Conjecture, but when you look at the technology curves, telling.
The water, food, and logistics concerns that have driven human habitation patterns forever haven't gone away, and show bo signs of going away for a long time. Is it possible to support habitation in places that aren't currently well-settled? Sure, but it's expensive, and that's not going to change relative to the places that are well-settled.