Global/Local Binary

When thinking about Critical Regionalism I first was at a loss for how we can even attempt this anymore – we are part of a global society. Through this globalization we have benefited from shared advancements in knowledge and technology. We have also seen the negative impacts of global politics and commerce escalating beyond our control. Either way, we are a global civilization now and that is not going to change. While Frampton’s argument for Critical Regionalism sounds idyllic, perhaps Jeremy Till’s approach is more realistic. Till defines the relationship between global and local as much more complex and fluid. He criticizes the mantra “Think global, act local” for the tendency of the global to overwhelm the local. The alternative does not work well either – if we think local, and act globally we are only serving our own best interest. So perhaps there is no correct order in which to act, only to recognize the much more fluid relationship between the two and negotiate this binary in the most appropriate way for each project.

David Salmela, Duluth, MN

Bryan Mackay Lyons, Nova Scotia