why do cities exist?
Submitted by scharton on Thu, 03/01/2007 - 13:22.
Why do we have cities? What is their purpose? How do we measure whether a city is good or bad? Are cities primarily economic? Are they primarily cultural? How do we measure success or failure, progress or ruination?
I've been noodling over these and other questions for years. This is one thought that I'd like to present for your feedback (in lieu of rotten tomatoes).
The collective purpose of a city is to: work toward providing an environment in which every citizen has the opportunity to achieve their highest self.
What's wrong with this? What does highest self mean? can't people achieve their highest self/purpose in difficult environments?
What's right with this? It focuses on human development both individually and collectively. Working toward, suggests striving toward an ideal, not the attainment of it. Opportunity means that it is up to the individual to particpate in the process, but that race, environment, economic class or even intelligence level will not hinder a person from self-development.
If you had to come up with one core, guiding principle for a city, what would it be? Tear my suggestion apart, ignore it altogether, or at least make us laugh.
Craig
that's right...
If only the gang-bangers on my block could accurately spell the words that they're tagging on my garage doors, I'd respect them a whole lot more.
--though I still feel proper punctuation and grammar, is, like, you know, a thing of the devil...
...and I still want to be a weeding planer, dammit.
school
To go to schools, get an education and learn how to spell in order to communicate.
i bealive citys exsist for meny rasons theat people need somwere to live and to rase a family
cities... urban.... da hood... up, down, and mid-town
I'm too tired at the moment to really go after this... but the first thing hit me...
Cities change.
They are living things... (even the cement,) in that they happen, (just like we did,)
sometimes planned, sometimes not...
But enough action? and you have life...
(...jeesh what is it with the double entendre's with me this week... spring? lent?...)
But cities often are a byproduct of people having to be close to each other out of a better interest that overtakes urge to go live off by yourself...
-So, economically they happen with commerce needs...
-but when the business changes, the city has to be able to do so as well.
Culture has a massive part of it, -and some cultures are just crazy about each other, and would rather die, than be separated... ( A lot of Latin and Mediterranian based (warmer climate,) folks... love to live in groups.. (and this is cool...)
--I described the high-density life of Italians on the East coast (vs. here,) to a guy from Italy (who lives here?)...
and he nearly started to cry...
(not a whole lot of 'talians here in the 'no by comparrison... and dude was really feeling lonely...)
So yeah, you got a city full of some ethnicities versus others, (or any strong ethnicitiy? ---your city will be like that... (and that's always a good time.)
But, with each group that comes in, -and their social customs, the place changes... and not all cultures agree on what is good or worthwhile and what is not.
Further?
cities are barometers...
Notice how people talk about 'downtown,'
---like nobody lives there and how it's like the moon or something.'
-Notice how when you say that to the people who LIVE there, (and there are a ton of them,)
--they get pissed.
(Why is this like Archie bunker hearing someone with an accent, saying to Edith, '...can't understand a word they're saying, -did you hear something?'
----What does THAT say about us...?)
A city demonstrates what those who live in it, (or those who choose to leave it,) -really think about others... (it's a chalkboard, ---and stuff is always being written on it...)
--It's always being read too.
It is far from static... sometimes only parts of it can be preserved, and it always fosters new growth by simply being there...
---Wanna kill it? demand that it stay the same come hell or high water...
I also think cities, by their nature, encourage growth... it's like swimming in a moving turbine... in a city you need to be quick on your feet, able to 'make it,' and learn how to ride it's energy and give it back
--or you simply get chopped up and float down with the flow...
Cities are a place
to exchange goods and trades. Cities are where people go to buy goods or the skill of a trade someone has to offer.
Considering your take, I think we should evaluate the definition of a city. If by city you mean the land, roadways and structures then reference to "self's" has no play.
If however your definition of city is the society that dwells within the limits of imaginary lines and numbers, zip codes, then more can be said for social responsibilities.
Diablo
Post new comment