Universal Urbanism

Appropriately sizing functional perspective

With Jane Jacobs, it was all about the street.

In her groundbreaking tome The Death and Life of Great American Cities, Jacobs spent the first few chapters detailing the “street ballet” observed from her Manhattan apartment window; for there, the seemingly meaningless interactions between strangers provided a sense of safety for the block of buildings and its residents, and strengthened the community both economically and socially.

But Jacobs knew that her block was not the rule, but very nearly the exception. A few blocks west, or north, or in any direction, and the street could emulate a very different sort of feeling. No children running around on the sidewalk, no residents chatting with local store owners, and very little coming and going activity. Despite these drastic differences within a seemingly minute distance, Jacobs provides universal urban solutions to these very real community issues, most of which still exist in a modern context. Though her observations and conclusions were arrived at in a space smaller than a high school football stadium, she believed that her recommendations could be applied to any urban area.

Fast forward nearly half a century, to the politically-charged urban/suburban metropolises of today.

Early last month, I was able to attend the American Association of Geographer’s Annual Meeting in Tampa, Florida. On the first day of the conference, I found a session that focused on the application of new urban principles in an international context. While several of the presenters attended school or were employed in the United States, their research areas spanned from Africa to South America.

But after each presentation, a man sitting only a few seats away from me would raise his hand. Standing up, he would compliment the methods, or express interest in the hypothesis. “But,” he would then state (and there was always a but), “this would NOT work in Africa.” Though he would support his grim conclusion with very legitimate explanations of the political climate, the lack of federal funding, the socio-economic conditions, etc., I could sense that several of the other attendees almost found his accusations comical in their predictability.

The African geographer’s pessimistic realism has haunted me for over a month now, as I prepare myself for a graduate degree in urban and regional planning. As someone who desires to study transportation and land use planning with an international perspective, I have spent the last several weeks continually asked myself — how universal are current solutions to urban problems? How universal should they be? And which is better, a regional focus or a global one?

Now obviously, I know that what works in one city may not work in another. Toyko is not Boston, Detroit is not Paris, and Dubai is not San Francisco. Each city and metropolitan area is unique, and that is something that should be celebrated. No one wants to live in Pleasantville (and if you do, well…we just have different lifestyles, I guess). And I am not one to promote or dream of an omniscient urban philosopher who will solve the world’s problems with their knowledge and their wisdom.

I think the best — perhaps the only — way to find what works and what doesn't in a city is to immerse yourself there. Regionalism does not usually work if one is not living/working or lived/worked in a particular region. A community cannot be interacted with from half a world away.

But that being said, one should not become so focused on their own region that they close their eyes to what is going on around them. There are so many brilliant minds and dedicated citizens working hard to better their community and their home. Maybe they don’t look like you, or even speak the same language, but their solutions could potentially be yours. Getting over the fear of the foreign, or of a sense of “other,” could be the beginning of a new chapter in one’s city.

I know that I will not soon forget the African man and his hesitations. I have not yet arrived at the right answer to his unasked questions, and I am not sure I ever will. The regionalism vs. internationalism argument is one that will be around for years to come, I am sure. I only hope that I can somehow contribute something to it, and that I can someday discover how to juggle these two varying perspectives.