What Makes a City “Livable”?
What is the true definition of “livable”? I know this might be confusing for someone who doesn’t think about his or her surroundings often. One may think, “I live here, so it must be livable.” Is this true?
I googled the definition of the word “livable”, and the first example said, “Worth living. Enjoyable.” This didn’t really do much for me, so I dug a little deeper, and another example says, “making it possible to live or to have the things that people need to live properly.” This one struck me, because when I’m talking about a city being livable, I don’t mean merely “shelter” or “having the necessities.”
I decided to create my own definition, one that can really get people to think about a place as more than just a place to live. A “livable” city, in my opinion, is a place where the combination of community, work, entertainment, attractions, and social life come together to create happiness and foster individual growth and prosperity.
Think about this definition. Does it make sense? What kinds of things from your hometown do you think of? A special restaurant? The beach? Your family? Running in the park?
When I think of a livable city, I immediately think of my home city: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Philly means a lot to me. The people, the sights, the vibe all come together to create a picture of a great city in my mind. This is a place where I live, work, and play. My friends and I go out in the city and have so much fun every time we go out. Most people I meet from Philly have so much pride in the place, it’s insane.
My favorite restaurant in the city is called “The Continental” on Chestnut Street. The food isn’t even the best part — the hanging chairs on the second floor balcony are! Every part of this restaurant comes together to create a fun, hip, 70’s vibe that can make any person smile.
This isn’t my favorite restaurant because of just the décor. My family, ever since I was very young, would take a trip into the city every Black Friday and every time, we would go to The Continental. Since I didn’t get to see my extended family too often, this was always a highlight of my year. These happy memories contribute to my positive view of the restaurant and the city.
Maybe a “livable” city isn’t just a place for work or play. Maybe it is a place where memories are created, no matter how small, how big, or how weird they may sound. Maybe it isn’t though; maybe you need to have the community, the work, the entertainment, the attractions, and the social life to create a memory. Maybe a “livable” city is just a made-up idea created by real estate developers who want to sell you the penthouse of their new mega-building. I hope this isn’t the case. Good thing I want to be a real estate developer.
