Philosophical Questions: City
Apr. 11th, 2026 08:02 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithPeople have expressed interest in deep topics, so this list focuses on philosophical questions.
What would a perfect city be like?
A perfect city would start with a good base, but it would be constantly evolving to meet changing needs. Some possible parameters:
* It should have plenty of greenspace for health, safety, wildlife, water handling, etc. This diagram compares a traditional neighborhood layout, suburban sprawl, and a neighborhood with greenspace.
* Travel is a right, not a paid privilege. The city is walkable, bikeable, and accessible. Public places have seating; parks have skateable sculptures; bus stops have seats and shelters. People who can't drive get free access to public transportation so they can go places and do things, and there is paratransit available at a moment's notice.
* Housing should be affordable, readily available, appropriate to the local environment, and suited to resident needs.
* Healthy food should be readily available and affordable. Ideally there should be a range of bargain supermarkets, upscale groceries, some specialty shops like a butcher and a baker, along with a farmer's market and a food truck park.
* Employment offers a range of good, safe, productive jobs that pay enough to live on. People can work from home or at a separate job as they please. Neighborhoods typically have a variety of small home businesses to meet local needs such as a hairdresser with a couple of chairs, a guy who fixes small engines in his garage, a gardener who sells houseplants from the front porch, a thrift store or antique shop, and a goodly supply of handiworkers and odd jobbers. Similarly there are plenty of places for rent or purchase to start a new business, from mall slots to seasonal shells to pop-up stands.
* There should be plenty of public spaces for activites, and events in them which are free or cheap. Think parks, plazas, coffeehouses, community centers, libraries, fairgrounds, and multipurpose indoor event spaces. At least one large auditorium with stage is extremely useful. Events might include street fairs, flea markets, concerts, plays, classes and workshops, competitions, festivals celebrating a town's famous person or past or favorite food, and so on.
* It should be easy to find things to do. Ideally there would be a town calendar of local events, along with a searchable database of clubs, churches, charities, sport teams, and other organizations people could join.
* A welcommittee contacts new people moving into town and helps them find local resources based on their needs and interests, to connect them to their new hometown as fast and effectively as possible.
* It evolves without erasing the past. Some neighborhoods have a totally different style of housing or businesses than others, and that's an asset.
Basically, a perfect city should meet most people's needs most of the time, and always be looking for ways to improve itself.
Some general resources to move in this direction:
30 Small Town Business Ideas: What Does Your Community Need?
A functional city provides the goods and services that its residents need.
The Building Blocks of a Bicycle Friendly City
A bike-friendly city more accessible to wheels in general than one which is not.
Measuring Up: A guide to support communities in becoming more accessible and inclusive for all (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada)
Participatory Community Building Guidebook (Australia)
Placemaking
The Power of 10+ Applying PLACEMAKING at Every Scale
Strong Towns
Transition Towns (United Kingdom)
Walk Friendly Communities: Community Assessment Guide
What is walkability?
From my work:
Bluehill in "From the Deepest Parts of Ourselves" (and how to make your home town more like Bluehill)
"Encouraging Physical Activity in Terramagne"
"How to Build Community"
"The Mall as Agora in Terramagne-America"
Rutledge, Vermont in the Rutledge thread of Polychrome Heroics (which doesn't have a landing page yet); "Because We Are All Unique" and "Without Diversity" give a good introduction
Sierpinski City in "The Evolution of Society as a Whole"
"Value Per Acre"
What would a perfect city be like?
A perfect city would start with a good base, but it would be constantly evolving to meet changing needs. Some possible parameters:
* It should have plenty of greenspace for health, safety, wildlife, water handling, etc. This diagram compares a traditional neighborhood layout, suburban sprawl, and a neighborhood with greenspace.
* Travel is a right, not a paid privilege. The city is walkable, bikeable, and accessible. Public places have seating; parks have skateable sculptures; bus stops have seats and shelters. People who can't drive get free access to public transportation so they can go places and do things, and there is paratransit available at a moment's notice.
* Housing should be affordable, readily available, appropriate to the local environment, and suited to resident needs.
* Healthy food should be readily available and affordable. Ideally there should be a range of bargain supermarkets, upscale groceries, some specialty shops like a butcher and a baker, along with a farmer's market and a food truck park.
* Employment offers a range of good, safe, productive jobs that pay enough to live on. People can work from home or at a separate job as they please. Neighborhoods typically have a variety of small home businesses to meet local needs such as a hairdresser with a couple of chairs, a guy who fixes small engines in his garage, a gardener who sells houseplants from the front porch, a thrift store or antique shop, and a goodly supply of handiworkers and odd jobbers. Similarly there are plenty of places for rent or purchase to start a new business, from mall slots to seasonal shells to pop-up stands.
* There should be plenty of public spaces for activites, and events in them which are free or cheap. Think parks, plazas, coffeehouses, community centers, libraries, fairgrounds, and multipurpose indoor event spaces. At least one large auditorium with stage is extremely useful. Events might include street fairs, flea markets, concerts, plays, classes and workshops, competitions, festivals celebrating a town's famous person or past or favorite food, and so on.
* It should be easy to find things to do. Ideally there would be a town calendar of local events, along with a searchable database of clubs, churches, charities, sport teams, and other organizations people could join.
* A welcommittee contacts new people moving into town and helps them find local resources based on their needs and interests, to connect them to their new hometown as fast and effectively as possible.
* It evolves without erasing the past. Some neighborhoods have a totally different style of housing or businesses than others, and that's an asset.
Basically, a perfect city should meet most people's needs most of the time, and always be looking for ways to improve itself.
Some general resources to move in this direction:
30 Small Town Business Ideas: What Does Your Community Need?
A functional city provides the goods and services that its residents need.
The Building Blocks of a Bicycle Friendly City
A bike-friendly city more accessible to wheels in general than one which is not.
Measuring Up: A guide to support communities in becoming more accessible and inclusive for all (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada)
Participatory Community Building Guidebook (Australia)
Placemaking
The Power of 10+ Applying PLACEMAKING at Every Scale
Strong Towns
Transition Towns (United Kingdom)
Walk Friendly Communities: Community Assessment Guide
What is walkability?
From my work:
Bluehill in "From the Deepest Parts of Ourselves" (and how to make your home town more like Bluehill)
"Encouraging Physical Activity in Terramagne"
"How to Build Community"
"The Mall as Agora in Terramagne-America"
Rutledge, Vermont in the Rutledge thread of Polychrome Heroics (which doesn't have a landing page yet); "Because We Are All Unique" and "Without Diversity" give a good introduction
Sierpinski City in "The Evolution of Society as a Whole"
"Value Per Acre"
