The Deleted Scenes - And Everything In Between
I received this interesting comment on my piece about the parent/non-parent divide in urbanism and the desirability of city life:
The last bit is in reference to a part of my essay about whether or not families need SUVs. The whole bit about cars reducing the desirability of walking even in walkable places is interesting. But the part I’m focusing on here is the first half of that comment, about living in what are essentially city neighborhoods outside of downtown, and places like that. In that vein, I replied in response:
This is really key. It’s obvious to me—so obvious that I don’t stop to explain it all the time. Some people hear “urban” and think “big noisy dirty dangerous city.” That’s part of why I use the term to mean basically anything that isn’t rural or suburban, from a village or small town up to Manhattan. I even look for urban characteristics in places that really are suburban by any typical definition. I also received this related comment on a recent piece:
Yeah, I guess that’s true. I don’t write that much about big cities. I’ve never lived in one—I’ve always lived in a suburb of some description, though looking back I quite enjoyed living in College Park, Maryland, which has a lot of streetcar-suburb DNA and, I think, lands on that sweet spot between privacy and proximity. And Washington, D.C. is not as intense as New York or Philadelphia, so I just have less experience with that kind of big city, even though D.C. generally counts as one. So I’m just clarifying and stating here that I think “urbanism” as a set of attitudes or policies applies basically everywhere, to different degrees, but especially everywhere between Manhattan and exurban Atlanta. This big middle is where most people live, and it’s how most developed land is developed. These vast areas of older suburbs, small towns, small cities, and outer urban neighborhoods are not going anywhere. I see urbanism as a way to leaven them, to enhance them. Not to make them into something totally different. I can say this in a practical, plain way, or I can say it in a more philosophical way: “city” or “urban” is more than land use—in some way it’s a spirit or a bundle of characteristics—and so any physical place can to some extent or in some sense be a “city.” That’s the way I think about the streetcar suburbs and early automobile suburbs. I understand that a lot of the people who actually live in these places see them as set against, or at least distinct from, the city. But I think that’s based on an incorrect taxonomy of built places. What Americans think of as “the city” is just the most intense incarnation of an urban place. Most places are somewhere on that urban continuum. Maybe even those Sunbelt exurbs will grow into themselves eventually. I write all of this because it underpins so many of my pieces, but I’m not sure I’ve ever articulated it straightforwardly, at least not in quite awhile. So there you go. Question/quiz: what’s your favorite “urban” (broadly understood) place that isn’t a major American downtown? Related Reading: If By “War On Cars” You Mean... Thank you for reading! Please consider upgrading to a paid subscription to help support this newsletter. You’ll get a weekly subscribers-only piece, plus full access to the archive: over 900 pieces and growing. And you’ll help ensure more like this! You're currently a free subscriber to The Deleted Scenes. For the full experience, upgrade your subscription. |
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All You Can Ball
Monday, April 8, 2024
Unlimited pinball in Purcellville, Virginia ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
New subscriber discount ends tonight!
Sunday, April 7, 2024
Quick reminder and thank you! ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
So I Guess I'm a Creative
Saturday, April 6, 2024
Another look behind the curtain ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
New and Old #156
Friday, April 5, 2024
Friday roundup and commentary ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
Who Do You Fear?
Thursday, April 4, 2024
Things that feel like ghosts, and thoughts on apartment living ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
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