A peer was commenting about open offices (e.g. large areas with several work areas) versus cubicles, and what the advantages/disadvantages of each holds for software development. While this is painfully obvious, it suddenly struck me that cubicles allow you to jam people even closer together - without the barriers of partition walls, natural psychological "bubbles" would prevent one from packing employees as closely. Put a little superficial wall and you can jam people right up beside and afront each other, within arms reach in many cases.

I've worked in both (RBC, in particular, had an absolutely terrible work environment for all but senior management. Tiny little micro-cubicals about 4 feet deep with your back against heavily trafficked corridors: Combine the worst of both cubicles and open offices. Add in the sleep inducing din of the AC, overlaid with the rhythmic tapping of hundreds of people pecking away at their keyboard filling out their TPS Reports, and you have a creativeless, life-sucking environment where the intelligent part of your brain goes to die), along with of course private offices, and I definitely prefer the former if a private office isn't possible.