Other Voices
"Dull, inert cities, it’s true, do contain
the seeds of their own destruction and little else.
But vital cities have marvelous innate abilities for
understanding, communicating, contriving, and inventing
what is required to combat their difficulties….
Lively, diverse, intense cities contain
the seeds of their own regeneration,
with energy enough to carry over
for problems and needs outside themselves."
-- Jane Jacobs Death and Life of Great American Cities, 1961
" In the 20th century, successive stages in the development of America’s economy were described in terms that expressed a core characteristic driving growth, such as efficiency, productivity and flexibility. In the New Economy of the New Millennium the term that best expresses what is at the heart of growth is creativity. The defining elements of the economy of the 20th century have not been erased, but the injection of new technology—especially the Internet—and the related multiplication of opportunities and acceleration of change have put creativity at the center of success in all areas of public and private endeavor…. As is the case with businesses, success for cities will depend on creativity. The creative city will be home to creative businesses and organizations and the individuals who direct and propel them. Creative cities, however, will not arise spontaneously. They will require creative leadership….
Fortunately for cities, what they have to offer is attractive to those who can contribute creativity. They also are operating in an economy that developed in ways that create clear and significant advantages for cities. Whether or not cities will capitalize on these advantages will hinge on the creativity they can bring to bear…. "
-- Robert McNulty, Partners for Livable Communities
"Living in places where nothing is connected properly, we have forgotten that connections are important. To a certain degree, we have forgotten how to think. Doesn’t this show in our failure to bring these issues in the political arena? There is a direct connection between suburban sprawl and the spiraling cost of government, and most Americans don’t see it yet, including many in government. Likewise, there is a connection between disregard for the public realm—for public life in general—and the breakdown of public safety. These issues will not enter the public discourse until something of a paradigm shift occurs in American society….The physical setting we presently dwell in itself exhausts our capital. It is, in fact, the biggest part of the problem. The future will require us to build better places, or else the future will belong to other people and other societies."
-- James Kunstler Geography of Nowhere
