Why don't more people live in liveable cities?

Great piece from kottke.org a blog "about the liberal arts 2.0"..

I brought up a similar point in a piece I wrote last year.


image by Andreja Brulc

Why Don't More People Live in Livable Cities?

Those lists of most liveable cities...why don't any of the vibrant big cities of the world ever make the list? Because the lists don't take into account many important reasons why people choose to live in a certain place.

I spoke to Joel Kotkin, a professor of urban development, and asked him about these surveys. "I've been to Copenhagen," (Monocle's Number 2) he tells me "and it's cute. But frankly, on the second day, I was wondering what to do." So, if the results aren't to his liking, what does he suggest? "We need to ask, what makes a city great? If your idea of a great city is restful, orderly, clean, then that's fine. You can go live in a gated community. These kinds of cities are what is called 'productive resorts'. Descartes, writing about 17th-century Amsterdam, said that a great city should be 'an inventory of the possible'. I like that description."

Joel Garreau, the US urban academic and author, agrees. "These lists are journalistic catnip. Fun to read and look at the pictures but I find the liveable cities lists intellectually on a par with People magazine's 'sexiest people' lists."

Ricky Burdett, who founded the London School of Economics' Cities Programme, says: "These surveys always come up with a list where no one would want to live. One wants to live in places which are large and complex, where you don't know everyone and you don't always know what's going to happen next. Cities are places of opportunity but also of conflict, but where you can find safety in a crowd.

"We also have to acknowledge that these cities that come top of the polls also don't have any poor people," he adds. And that, it seems to me, touches on the big issue. Richard G Wilkinson and Kate Pickett's hugely influential book The Spirit Level: Why More Equal Societies Almost Always Do Better (2009) seems to present an obvious truth -- that places where the differential in income between the wealthiest and the poorest is smallest tend to engender a sense of satisfaction and well-being. But while it may be socially desirable, that kind of comfort doesn't necessarily make for vibrancy or dynamism. If everybody is where they want to be, no one is going anywhere.

(via stellar and many emails)

Update: That Decartes quote above? He never said it.

a Ijubljana moment

A meditative little moment a few weeks back in the tunnel from Ljubljana's Tivoli Park. The city recently "cleaned up" the graffiti in the tunnel and I'd been complaining that it felt lifeless and dull, but this guy brought a nice warm energy to the place.

The city is coming up aces these days, really growing on me!

Of All The Bad Ideas...

Yesterday night, I was walking through the center of Ljubljana when I came across UNICEF's latest campaign, "Help Get Rwandan Kids off the street". The first image I saw was a big sticker over a bus shelter which featured the slogan up top and then a "Rwandan person" laying down writhing in pain at the bottom. I thought "Hey, this is dumb" and then walked off.

When I walked a little further I came upon this little fella.


A cardboard cutout of a Rwandan boy supposedly called "Eric".

The street ahead was filled with these young'uns. It was beyond bizarre.



I even saw a stack of back up "kids" laying in a side alley in case the originals got vandalized or someone decided to go Madonna with one.

They weren't joking when they said "get them off the street". The direct implication being, "You, nice white person, give us some money and we'll get these black kids out of your way."

I am annoyed by this on two fronts, first the idea that the black presence on Slovenian streets is posited in this way -- some sad, dirty, unfortunate character who needs handouts from white Europeans. Secondly, considering there are almost no black people in this country and many Slovenians can't help but stare and isolate the black people they do see, I can't imagine this ploy working. As a matter of fact, I think it far more likely that the cardboard kids will get tired of being gawked at and having their hair touched and just up and walk away...

Booked!

A great find from the local used bookstore here in Radovljica

One of the greatest pains of being an expat here in Slovenia is that I have a very difficult time getting my hands on books. Before coming here, I was a passionate patron of the very fantastic New York Public Library and I have always been an avid reader.My father is also a voracious reader and (former?) book collector who raised me with a fine appreciation for used bookstores and the dusty-smell of an old edition. In fact, my first job was at a library, and I've actually worked at six libraries all together.

So, when I finally decided to move here "for good" I had to very tearfully say goodbye to a great many of my books at my old flat in Brooklyn. These days I am not only scrambling around for my next read, I am also often scrambling for a place to be around old books. Luckily, we have such a place here in Radovljica and I have found quite a few special finds (see the one above) in both Slovenian and English.

Luckily I just came across this fantastic site, Bookstore Guide, which features reviews of great bookstores across Europe. After checking that it had my favorite place in Berlin (and probably one of my fave places in the world!), Another Country bookstore, I knew the site was legit. Of the three stores they mention in Ljubljana, I've been to two and will soon be checking out the third, looking for my next fix.

Berlin Diary Entry Number Five: An Apology

I woke up about an hour ago because I heard some commotion outside the window. Emerging from my lair, I began to to see emergency lights and smell burning rubber. The dog and I drifted outside where we saw firemen hosing off the last bit of a car on the sidewalk in front of the building two doors down. Needless to say, the car was burnt to a crisp. Berlin is crazy.

Anyway, sorry I haven't posted. I haven't been neglecting the blog. I've been collecting material.

Last night on the way back home from a punk concert, I saw a group of young men walking a baby lamb down the street and laughing their heads off. I wondered where they could get a live lamb. In the city. At such an hour. Then I went home and drifted to bed. I think this place is kinda crazier than New York.

OK, well I have more to report....but not right now.
But soon.
I promise.

If you need more to read, here is a NY Times blog post about how "Slovenians like to party".
The post doesn't even have the dignity to be in the fiction section*.

*Please note: if you are a Ljubljanacan/ka, who wants to write in and argue with me that Ljubljana is indeed a legitimate party town, please ensure that you have been and partied in three or more of the following cities first, then we can talk:

London
Berlin
New York
Los Angeles

I'll even accept Belgrade since I've heard (and believe) that they truly know how to party there.

Yellow!

I got a bit lost in the Litostroj part of Ljubljana the other day. My lost is your gain...













Who knew there was a hairdresser high school?

The New Place To Be!

If you are in town come out and join me at the opening of Kolovrateater this Friday - 17th October. Its a historic old space near the castle, refashioned into a fantastic new kavarna/bar/club/theater/hang out place opened by young Ljubljana visionaries. I have been itching to do some socializing and maybe a drink or two...

On The Chaingang

I've been working like a dog these days. But it is hard to complain when work takes you to places like this.

A Glance

I know some of you out there know Ljubljana like the back of your hand while some of you aren't even sure precisely where Slovenia is. For that second group, I just stumbled across this video my new company made about Ljubljana. It's slightly corny (hey man I didn't make it!), but informational nonetheless. Check out the capital city....

Searching For My Sister

This video by Blackgirl on Mars (aka Lesley in Copenhagen) kinda made me tear up.

Well as you might have guessed there are not a lot of black people here in Slovenia. That said, every time I go to Ljubljana I do see at least one. I walk by, smile, and say hello, hoping one of them might stop me for a friendly chat, being too shy to do so myself. So far, no luck. Unlike in America where I feel more confident that I can start gabbing away in English and the person will most likely understand, I always hold back for fear of possibly being presumptuous with someone who might not speak English or might not speak it well, someone who might be actually Slovene, someone who might not really feel connected to me. I wonder if they think the same of me. Somehow the connections are never made.

Anyway, the other day as I was on the bus, we pulled up to a stop and I saw a tall thin and annoyed-looking African girl waiting there. I instantly got excited realizing that, up til now, nearly all the black people I've seen have been men. All of a sudden, this seemed to be a chance for a real black girlfriend here: someone to exchange hair care tips and funny stories with; someone who would understand some of my frustrations; someone who could share shipping on a box full of cosmetics for dark skin; someone for laughter and tears and support. A sister...

I was in the very first seat on the bus, unmissable, and I readied myself to smile and greet. She quickly climbed on and breezed straight past me without even a glance. As we rolled down Slovenska cesta, I kept looking back through the crowd of people hoping to spot her and catch her eye; visions of our forthcoming friendship danced in my head. As the bus neared my stop I stood up and walked towards the exit and stood right next to her, staring at her, waiting for her to turn her head. With a steely steadfastness, she simply continued to stare straight ahead with the same bothered look on her face, and as we descended the steps and headed our different I sort of got a little choked up about the possible missed opportunity....

So I was thrilled this week, on the final day of my Slovenian language course (week long intensive, more on that later) to read the story of a friendly-looking black woman (from England) who also lives here in Slovenia. Someone whose family also comes from Ghana and also does similar work to me. She also came here to be with her Slovenian partner; the coincidences are too great! As soon as I got home, I looked her up. I am now in the process of contacting her, and (without putting too much pressure on the situation) I am hoping she writes back.

Lots and lots

I have LOTS to post and talk about but not sure exactly when I can do it all.

To start, here are some images from my friend Andrej Kamnik's art show a few weeks ago. I got there early, but within minutes the room filled with elderly people, children, and then the twenty and thirty somethings started filing in. As the room got crowded I came to find that aside from Andrej's great friends most of the people there were members of his family (from young to old) and I was pleased to find they were some of the most friendly, supportive, unpretentious, and enthusiastic art fans I'd ever met! Heartwarming. :)




Andrej getting photo'd for the newspaper








i tried to snap a pic of the inner workings of one installation, to little avail


Andrej with the gallery owner and curator




The ladies circle


A very nice evening, indeed. I hope for many more to come!

Random Shots

Here are some pictures from a week or two ago. I will post something more recent soon.


I tried to get the back of this van. The woman was calling for help because she "wasn't colored".


cross walk


over the river, near the fish store


photo face-off with bestie Nela


me

who won?


birthday lunch for our friend Gia from The Philippines. We also met our new friend Nadia from Venezuela.


this statue is really beautiful at this angle


all different, all equal - ad for something (multiculturalism comes back to slovenia. perhaps even worse than last time. check this youtube video out)


some event about live books. you can't judge a book by its cover. hmmm, we'll see.


is this necessary? i just don't know


This is Slovenia. In case you were wonderin....

Happy Days

The last few days have been really fun.

Here are pictures from Thursday salsa-dancing party at Piano Bar in Ljubljana. I went with my new friend Nela from Colombia and some of her friends and we had a blast! The place was mostly full of students from various dancing classes*, so mostly there were a bunch of really stiff people counting off steps but there were a few gems in there, and then of course there were a few authentic dancers like Nela and our new friends from Spain, Peru, and Cuba! Nela schooled me a bit on the different types of salsa dancing and told me about the way they dance in Cali, Colombia with fancy feet dancing salsa.

Here are some pictures...I didn't take many since I was too busy dancin!









And as a special bonus, here is video of people dancing that fancy feet Cali style of salsa.



*BTW, what is it with Slovenian people and dance classes? They seem to be really popular here. Someone please explain.