ON CITIES

Image courtesy of Paulo Menezes - www.paulomenezes.com 

In a nutshell, people make people,

People occupy space

Through this occupation, ‘’space’’ therefore becomes ‘’place’’

This place is what we call home, and these homes form neighbourhoods these neighbourhoods shape our cities, ultimately they shape the world.

And the question goes; is there a ‘’recipe’’ for a successful city?

Are there universal fundamentals that all successful (or failed) cities share?

And exactly how does one measure the success of a city? Is it through capital traction or social development? Or is it a combination of these two drivers that make it work?

In all practicality, is this notion of a ‘’perfect city’’ even realistic, for the rich to live side by side with the poor?

We can agree that there is not a perfect city. Maybe the best city is a ‘’trying’’ city. The type of city that is trying to be humane to refugees, tourists and natives. Again, a city that is trying to serve commerce and community with equal zeal, perhaps, after a period of time this city will seem stagnant because it’s ‘’merely’’ trying to balance an act that can never be balanced. But you know what, that is just fine! It’s good enough that it’s been stagnant through trying to serve the two chief elements of its existence, commerce and people.

Lastly, these trying cities are those that don’t always get it right and yes, they admit their shortcomings but are never too shy to try again.  And the people too are willing to try again because they get the concept. Hell, that’s why they live here.