Friday, September 24, 2010

Urbanism

The esteemed Foreign Policy magazine's current issue is focusing on the rise of the city. All over the world millions of former country dwellers are leaving their traditional roots behind in search of a better life in the city. What does the city have to offer? At least in the more developed countries it means better education, better resources, networking. Both articles point out that the city with its dying interior and sprawling suburbs are on the way out. The new phase of urbanism belongs to the metropolises of Tokyo, Sydney, and Beijing.
I'm not certain that we are going to see the total disappearance of country boarders as the article "beyond city limits" seems to suggest., humans are much too territorial for that. I do think however that a renewed wave of "metropolitinism" will arise, where people are prouder to belong to their city than to their state or territory. What ever the future, it is obvious that the large city is here to stay, I personally welcome such a change with open arms.

1 comment:

  1. Interesting possibility that "City-States" will become more important than nations. Maybe they already have.

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