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.

Brainy, Bigmouthed, and Black....by the Brooklyn Bridge

St. Cyril Slovenian church in NYC's East Village

Noticing a lag in this blog, the Powers That Be have elected to send me on long-term assignment to perhaps the most exciting city in the world -- NYC. I will try to keep you posted as to any of my experiences, things I read about, and goings-on that pertain to race, culture, Slovenians and/or other Slavs here, at home, and abroad.

Stay tuned.

Homesickness

I found this interesting article on the condition of homesickness that describes the situation chillingly well. Thought I'd share with some of the other expats (and maybe even those who are in the same country but just miles away from the place they consider home), so that you know you're not nuts and you're not alone.

Here's an excerpt:

What Are You Doing Here?

A visitor is often asked, What are you doing here? It seems that in the question there is the suggestion that, because you don't belong here, there must be some good reason for you to be here. One can't leave home and just be somewhere else. People do leave their own homes for a variety of reasons: vacation, conferences, work, schooling, or resettlement. If they meet and get into conversation with inhabitants they are inevitably asked the purpose of their visit. We are all curious as to the reasons some people make temporary or permanent breaks with their home ties, perhaps with a sense of wonder regarding what would be deemed important enough to initiate such a violent separation of oneself and one's foundations.

Indeed, visitors too may privately wonder sometimes about their reasons for being somewhere, as did the Canadian woman who, while visiting the outback of Australia, suddenly came across a wild bull: "I stared at the bull which barred our passage on that dirt road. Its huge bulk seemed to rise out of the dust at me and say, `What are you doing here?'" Is the answer to this question worth the discomfort, the feeling of homesickness that may accompany it?

Nevertheless, visitors often strive to overcome aspects of this strangerness by making a space of their own where they find themselves. The hotel room becomes the inner space to which they return after venturing into the city to take a look around. It seems that the establishment of home (even if it is a temporary home) involves not only the "carving out of chaotic space a definite area set apart from the rest of the world" (Bollnow, 1961, p. 34), but also requires that one has a place from which to set forth and to which to return.

The establishment of a place to which we can return and feel a sense of ownness is indicative of what is missed in homesickness. Even if we recognize something as being similar to that of home, we still do not feel the sense of home, the sense of ownness, or intimate familiarity. According to Schutz (1971, p. 113), "the longing for re-establishing the old intimacy-not only with persons but also with things-is the main feature of what is called `homesickness.'" However, it is not enough to say that homesickness is a longing to reestablish old intimacies with things, space, and people. Home cannot be reduced to only people, places, and things; and therefore, to miss home involves something more fundamental to our way of being-in-the-world.

Read the rest here.

A Thursday Thought Exercise: Dreaming of A Perfect City

people second-lining in the streets in New Orleans

A friend on Facebook recently pointed me to this interesting Wall Street Journal article from last year where musician, artist, writer, designer, and one of my favorite people on the planet, David Byrne, outlines the elements of what would comprise his perfect city. As a person who is currently dissatisfied with where she lives but unsure as to where to go next, this is a perfect thought exercise for me. But I think I come up a little short since I have so many places I still feel like I need to visit before I could craft my Ultimate City. But for now I can still present you with....

Features of the City of My (Current) Dreams*

Size: Half the size of New York would be good. Maybe limited to the size of the three boroughs that I frequented the most -- Manhattan, Queens, and Brooklyn. Trim the fat, there's still plenty city there.

Density: The density of Berlin seemed just right to me. At around 3.4million (according to Wikipedia), it is less than half the size of NYC (and 1.5X larger than the entire country of Slovenia), which means you can usually get a seat on the subway and you don't usually have to fight for sidewalk space, but you still run into (or try to avoid) people you know on the streets. I also crave good people watching, something that this level of density offers.

Sensibility and attitude: It would be a mix of New York and Berlin. I'd take the Berlin laid- back kindness mixed with the grizzled and blunt attitude of an old school native Brooklynite.

Security: I always feel pretty safe in NYC, because there are almost always plenty of people out on the streets.

Chaos and danger: There is something about the organized chaos of New York City that I really love. You don't know what you will find around a corner. There can be a film crew shooting or a man taking a crap on a sidewalk. It makes for interesting cocktail chat and creative inspiration.

Mixed Use - Creative/Culture Areas: New York does this mighty nicely, with work/live space where artists can paint or sculpt all day and then have awesome loft parties or dance exhibitions or rock shows in the evening. Ljubljana has Metelkova, but it is too grungey for my taste (plus it is only one place, not an area) as are these kinds of spaces in Berkeley and San Francisco. When it's done well, New York does it really smashingly and that would be a nice feature for my dream city.

Transportation: My ideal city would have precious few cars and lots of bike lanes, buses, and subway lines...maybe some sort of congestion charge like in London to limit the number of cars in the center.



Public Space: I can't think of a city I've been to that really gets parks fabulously right (NYC does OK), but my dream city would have good green parks with ample space for exercising, walking animals, kids playgrounds, and public concerts and events.

Community: New Orleans does this gorgeously. The city is so many different communities laid on top each other in so many fantastic formations focused on art, food, music, activism, academia.... They may not have the greatest work ethic but they do have a strong party ethic and a wonderfully unique culture that hold people together in good times and bad.

Dancing In The Street: New Orleans wins for this one with its impromptu and very fun second line culture, though Berlin comes a close second with its "Any Reason is a Good Reason to Dance in the Street" attitude. New Orleans wins for better music. :)

*to be continually updated as I travel



Top 10 Cities I Think Will Affect My Vision After I Visit Them
1) Sao Paulo
2) Barcelona
3) Tokyo
4) Hong Kong
5) Dakar
6) Johannesburg
7) Bombay
8) Stockholm
9) Istanbul
10) Chicago

What about you?

Greetings from the American South

Wondering where I been? Well, here's a clue:

Love and Obstacles - the tour

Ever since I read the short story Love and Obstacles by Bosnian writer, Aleksander Hemon, I've been curious to visit Murska Sobota in northeast Slovenia. So this Valentine's/Carnival weekend, The Captain and I headed up there. I really enjoyed myself walking around colorful and sadly sorta abandoned Murska Sobota and we even took a short ride over the border to Hungary where we had (of course) goulash, got shaken down for a few euros by some crossing guard lady who tried to explain stuff to us in Russian, and retreated back over the border after realizing that their language was so incredibly different from the handful that we were familiar with that we might get totally lost.

Here are some images so you get the idea.






Murska Sobota


just across the border (a 20 minute drive or so)


the goulash was eaten


we also had this dödölle (fried potatoes and onions with sour cream) which was excellent along with some yummy meat


too much decoration in hungary


more Murska - this was one of like three diferent "Bar Africa"s that I saw in this region. what gives?


alongside our hotel


Valentine's dinner at the restaurant. It was heinously bad


Murska Sobota, an aerial view


shamefully weird valentine dessert in Murska Sobota

All in all, I am grateful for the opportunity to see more of the country and I am glad I went. Thank you to all the super friendly people of Murska Sobota!

Lovely London Town

Last week, your fateful narrator took a lovely jaunt to the dreary but sparkling and wonderful London. It was food, friends, family, more food, and fun! Here are some images from my wanderings.


early morning Camden


massive amounts of donuts in Camden Town


(for you dad!) a weimaraner on the counter of a laundrette in Croydon


pieces of the Parthenon at the British Museum


at the Palm Tree jazz bar in Dalston where the cutest little old lady was on piano


something greasy and huge in Camden


the Lord Mayor's Parade - an old and annual tradition


a narrow London street


Camden Lock - the Horse Hospital side


celebrating my birthday at the National Gallery's cafe - two free scoops of ice cream!


a performance at Institute for Contemporary Arts


cupcakes at Old Spitalfield's Market


me under a rainbow in ASDA's car park - Mitcham, Surrey

Letter to the Bosses #1: Poletje promet je

Dear People Who Run Slovenia,



Now is the time of year when the common greeting of "Hey, how ya doing?" gets dropped and is replaced with "When are you going to the seaside?" Considering this annual inevitability results in so many tens of thousands of your fair citizens (as well as tourists passing through) burning loads of gas and clogging up the roadways, I humbly suggest that you please start organizing some more environmentally friendly alternatives.

How much trouble would it be to run some regular trains and busses down that-a-way? You could offer tickets at a family-friendly (and maybe slightly recession-friendly) price and let people leave their gas guzzlers at home. Not only would it be environmentally-friendly but wouldn't it give a national sense of pulling together for the good of all? I think so!

I hope you consider my proposal.

Until next time, I remain, your humble resident,
Camille Acey of Wheelville

Berlin Diary #Final (for now): Wheelville Guide to Berlin

For your travelling pleasure (and so I don't forget), I'm posting a guide to my absolute favorite places in Berlin. I will keep updating as I remember stuff.



Books
Another Country - Riemanstr. 7 (Kreuzberg -U7 to Gneisenaustr or U6-7 to Mehringdamm)
It's kinda the best place in the world ever. Do go there for Friday night dinner party, yum!
Motto - (Kreuzberg - U1 to Gorlitzer Banhof) actually more of a magazine shop. but full of interesting reads

Clothes
Garage - clothes by the kilo, Ahornstr. 2 (U1-4 to Nollendorf)
Mauer Park Flohmarkt(Prenzlauerberg, U8 to Bernauer)
Razzo's Second Hand, Sybelstraße 25 (Charlottenburg, S to Charlottenburg, U7 to Adenauerplatz), also just wander around this hood it is FULL of second hand shops
Think Shoes, Kantstr. (Charlottenburg, U7 to Wilmersdorf or S to Charlottenburg)
Vamp Star - Schwedterstr. 22 ( -Prenzlauerberg) - run by real cool Japanese dudes with great designs for a good price. they also have a booth at Mauer Park every Sunday
Second Hemd, super cheap- Prinzenallee at Bellermanstr. (Wedding - U8 to Pankstr.)

Culture
Circle Culture gallery - Gipstr 11 (U8 to Weinmeister)
Festsaal Kreuzberg (Kreuzberg - U8 or U1 to Kottbusser Tor)
Haus der Kulturen der Welt (Mitte, S1,2,25 to Unter den Linden then M100 through Tiergarten)
Maxim Gorki Theater - Am Festungsgraben 2 (Mitte)

Food & Drink
Anchor, nice little bar on Kottbusser Damm (Kreuzberg - U1/U8 to Kottbusser Tor)
Cafe do Brasil, brasilian (Kreuzberg - U7 to Mehringdamm) super yummy buffet!
Ho Vang, fantastic vietnamese (Mitte - U2 to Rosa Luxembourg Platz)
Hotel, nice little bar - Marianenstrasse 26 (Kreuzberg - U1/U8 to Kottbusser Tor)
La Femme - multiple locations in Wedding and Kreuzberg, good brunch!
Mustafas Gemuse Kebab, killer chicken and veg doeners right outside the station (U7 to Mehringdamm)
Pagode, thai - Bergmanstr. (Kreuzberg -U1 to Gneisenaustr or U7 to Mehringdamm)
Pasternak, great Russian brunch buffet on Sundays, Knaackstrasse 22-24 (Prenzlauerberg - U2 to Senefelder)
Room 77, burgers and nachos - Griefstr. 77 (Kreuzberg -U8 to Schonleinstr.)
Vor Wien , nice bar/venue, Skalitzer 44 (Kreuzberg, U1, U8 to Kottbusser Tor)
White Trash Fast Food , good American food, Torstr. 201(Prenzlauerberg - U8 Rosenthaler Platz)

Gifts/Shopping
Alte Schoenhauser Allee - The whole street is worth a look, in fact roll down Neue Schoenhauser Alle when you're done (Mitte, U2 Rosa Luxembourg, U8 to Weinmeisterstr.)
Butlers - Hackescher Markt (S to Hackescher, U8 to Weinmeisterstr.)
Harry Lehmann perfume shop, Kantstr. 106 (Charlottenburg, U7 to Wilmersdorf or S to Charlottenburg)
KaDeWe (Kaufhaus des Westens), famous old department store, it's all about the upstairs food hall!, (U1-3 to Wittenbergplatz)
O.K. , cool kitschy tchotchkes from around the world- Alte Schonhauser Allee (Mitte, U2 Rosa Luxembourg, U8 to Weinmeisterstr.)
Rossman - various locations, they have great cosmetics and other little nice things to give as gifts

Sites
Berlin Zoo
Brandenburg Gate
Hauptbanhof
Humboldthain Park
Hackeshcher Hohe/Markt
Mauer Park
Potsdamer Platz
Tiergarten
Treptower Park

Things I Wanna Do/See Next Time
Badeschiff
Berlin Unterwelten (Berlin Underworlds, tunnels under the city!) tour
Cocolo Ramen - Gipstrasse 3 (U8 to Weinmeister) - I passed by this place and even through the closed fence, I could smell them making the noodles from scratch!
Ha My restaurant
Helmut Newton Museum
La Scala
Panorama Bar
Rock Cafe Halford (U5 to Frankfurter Allee)
The Shy Chef
Soylent Bar - Friedrichshain (U1, S to Warschauer)
Stasi Museum
Tacheles
more galleries in general
more flea markets
more music, shows, dancing!

Useful Online Resources
bvg.de
exberliner.net
iheartberlin.de
berlin.unlike.net

Overrated Things
Curry 36 and currywurst in general (it's disgusting!)
Ku'Damm shopping area (they have the same shops all over town with less crowds)
Monsieur Vuong, vietnamese restaurant

Berlin Diary: Entry Number Zero Point Two

Here are a few images from the hour or so we spent in gorgeous Dresden.

I had a brief run-in with a gang of living statues where they tried to shake me down for undeserved Euros, but otherwise the trip was lovely and uneventful. Dresden, like Munich, has an oddly sterile feel to it, since it is almost entirely new (having been famously bombed to bits during the war), but I enjoyed it nonetheless.




these people were doing an anthropological excavation.






the aforementioned gang






















first wurst of the trip!