Immediacy Vs. Remoteness
Having lived in a Suburban environment for my entire life, I started to think about the other side of the coin: living in an urban setting. In my undergraduate studies, I had the opportunity to study in Barcelona for a semester. Being in this environment was a huge culture shock because I was not use to the vibrant life of a city and how much it requires you to think about your daily routine.
Some things I really enjoyed about living in Barcelona was the immediacy of everything. Not having to rely on having your own car, or having to "beautify" your own yard like David mentioned in class, made living in the city a really enjoyable experience. Also, living and studying with some of my friends made it easy go out and enjoy the broad variety of experiences that Barcelona had to offer. Living in the suburbs requires you to create experiences for you to enjoy (grilling in the back yard, or playing games with your neighbors.) While both are different, I think both are necessary because it provides contrast.
With the current trend of people moving back into the city, I think its necessary to think about what each mode of living has to offer. I do not think it is enough to appropriate things from both and make a hybrid of the two. Maybe if there was a way to link them together in a way that made it seem like one system and not two separate environments.
It is interesting that I lived in a urban environment in China, maybe similar to the urban condition in Europe, which is so different from you guys. We don't need to drive remotely and easy access to street and commercial area. It is totally good when I was young, and less people had cars. When more and more people buy cars, it takes long time to drive anywhere. I think there are some issues existing both in the urban area and suburbia. It is also two kinds of life style, some people prefer downtown, some people likes suburbia.
ReplyDeleteI thought that was what suburbia was about: creating a hybrid between too worlds (nature and the city). I think there will be a revival of the small town in the next few decades. I don't know if most people want to live in the rat race of the city, but would rather have something more intimate and smaller scale.
ReplyDeleteI have been working in a small town when growing up and have seen how it is providing a cultural and social setting for the people who live in the area. It is interesting to note that each year it becomes more dynamic and lively. Maybe the town is the solution we are looking for?