After reading the article again, I wanted to add a supplemental post...
Bickford made the statement:
"In this essay, I argue that the architecture of our urban and suburban lives provides a hostile environment for the development of democratic imagination and participation."
Coming from an suburban/rural area of mostly white, middle-class people (and perhaps this is a naive point of view on my part) - but I find urban areas (such as Boston) quite rich with culture. There may be "poorer areas" of the city itself, but I do not feel that these areas lack any of the growth potential that is available in the suburban surroundings.
It was almost as if Bickford was blaming the suburban areas and their ultimate growth for the problems (and fear) of the cities.
I do believe that it is economics that plays a huge role in the shaping of our democracy, rather than the architecture (or the urban planning) that surrounds us.
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2 comments:
I completely agree with the point that you made about Bickford blaming the suburban areas and their ultimate growth for the problems (and fear) of the cities.
Cities orginated long before suburbs were born and began growing. If anything it is completely the other way around. She should be blaming cities and their lack of growth for the modern problems that are being encountered with suburbs. Way back when there was obviously something about cities that made people retreat to the countryside and later form suburban developments. Now, the type of cookie-cutter homes that can exist in our modern suburbs are not to be blamed on cities. I wish that more suburbs would incorporate the rich building materials that you see in most of our historic cities.
Agreed. I think it can be argued that the reason you get suburban flight from cities is because people are fleeing the city and its problems for what they may perceive as a better, safer, more comfortable life. We cannot fault people for pursuing that. There will always be those who want to stay and try to combat the problems (whether economic in nature, or otherwise), but there will also be an equally valid group who may have no interest in trying to solve the problem - but would simply rather choose to focuse their efforts and attention elsewhere.
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