Wednesday, September 19, 2007
"The problem of place in America"
so after reading this article, i totally agree with the author. America's subdivisions may have created a sense of safe orderly being but it definitely does not give a feel for belonging and happiness. People try to be so private nowadays in their homes. neighbors don't really get together and hang out as friends. there isn't places to go near your home if you want to get away and socialize. everything has become suburbia. its very scary because it almost feels like everyone is becoming the same person. there is no individuality in homes and in families. there are very few cities in our country that i think have individuality. one being San Francisco. i have visited that city several times the past 2 years and there is a sense of life that makes u feel welcome wherever you go. there are tons of little pubs and museums and cafes all in walking distances near little subdivisions. you see people walking around the city at all hours, and you run into a lot of the same people at these places and form friendships. i also had the opportunity to live in Los Angeles this past summer and it too is a great place for activity and change. i know that the author had wrote about how he and his wife has a home in Los Angeles and a home in Europe and that he rarely leaves his home in Los Angeles because of fear of driving...but i can honestly say the city is broken off into little areas and within those areas you tend to find your niche. i met so many great people there this summer and would run into a lot of the same people on a daily places at cafes and bars. even in Baton Rouge i see the same people on a daily basis at the same places. i guess it depends on what kind of setting your are in though because my parents live in Texas and they fall into the category that the author is describing. there is absolutely nothing to do in there town and they never want mingle with other people around them because they people are stuck in a zone. i think that our country needs a little flavor to it. there is no reason that we should fall into the category that the author is describing.
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2 comments:
Thanks for your post. You're a thoughtful and aware young designer. Kudos! This is a topic of passionate interest for me. So many forces in American life and culture converge to destroy communities: our constant geographic wanderings break up our family support networks, our compulsiveness about work sucks out our ability to enjoy the rest of life, our physical spaces are designed for cars, not people, etc. etc. But we also do have many great examples of urban environments that work better for people. When I lived in Manhattan, I loved how I could walk everywhere and bump into friends or spot a famous personage window-shopping on Columbus Ave...it felt like living in a village (without the down side of village living!). I now live in Boston, but in an area that doesn't have any place I can conveniently walk to. I really miss that and resent having to get into my car to get a latte, and that by being in my car I am sequestered from the breath and life around me. My sister is an architect, and we talk about this a lot. She's designing her own home now to be a machine for the kind of living we want: connected to earth and people. I look forward to seeing more of your work too!
I agree with you of what you have post. I've never lived in a suburban area until I came to The States and settled with my parents in South Florida. It was shocking not only because of cultural differences but also because here in Kendall you don't see people walking on the streets and every house, building or store looks the same. It's so organized and boring. In Havana city I used to walk to every place I wanted to go and see people everywhere. Every part of the city is special and different. The are a lot of cool places just to sit and enjoy the views that the city offers. Specially on "El Malecon" This part of the city is always full of people, you can sit in the wall near the sea and watch the ocean or look around you, there you can find musicians, Hawkers and a diversity of people. I used to hang out with friends there but now I don't have that anymore. People here are too concerned about work.
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