Cities

Last Monday we discussed a fundamental point in the class: What is a city? Penguin Dictionary of Geography defines it simply as: In general, a large town. What an abstract definition! So we decided to move deeper into the subject to see what can be said more. I presented some classic ideas about the definition of the city dated back to 1930s.

Recognizing ‘urbanism as a way of life Wirth said that city is ‘a relatively large, dense and permanent settlement of socially heterogeneous individuals’. He was not the only one putting the urban society on the scene in the 1930s. Around the same time, and with a somewhat more sophisticated approach, Lewis Mumford defined 'the city is a geographic plexus, an economic organisation, an institutional process, a theater of social action, and an aesthetic symbol of collective unity’. We then watched an old documentary: The City (directed by Ralph Steiner and Willard Van Dyke, commentary written by Lewis Mumford).

you can download the whole film at: http://www.archive.org/details/CityTheP1939

To spice up the discussion I asked students to form groups to answer a simple question on the basis of their own experiences: What makes a city? Each group (had 4 in total) emphasized different characteristics and sometimes conflicted with each other. Some had a description, some had a list of 'must to have' features. It was fun to see how ideas differ on the basis of the different backgrounds. See them below. We ended up discussion whether Middelburg is a city or not. I guess, we couldn't conclude on that :)

Group 1:

A city is a settlement that is relatively large compared to it's surroundings. It has a central function on economic, political, social, financial, cultural and educational activities in it's region. A city is easy to reach and it has good connections with other cities eg. harbor, railway station, airport. Cities attract people with different ethnic/cultural backgrounds and it offers various job opportunities. Furthermore there is a center for higher education, for example an university or HBO.


Group 2:

A city...is a place where higher authorities (government, police) take care of it. A center of population with cultural differences, that provides facilities for each and every one of them. There are different economic activities with a commercial center. A city is a place where education is easily accessible (especially higher education). There is a clear division of social classes, therefore there are different neighborhoods. City is a place where big corporations are settled. Also transport throughout the city is easy due to all kinds of possibilities: tram, bus, train, etc.

Group 3:

A city has its own government and administrative system. It also serves as the economic/cultural center of a region and attracts capital and people. It contains an educational system and transportation structure consists of a single defined area.

Group 4:

A city needs to have at least 100.000 people with its own local government. It needs to have public and general transportation, including train station and provide opportunities for different ethnic groups and religion. Furthermore, it must have a commercial center, a hospital, night life and a university. A good balance between young and old people is important for a good economy and globalization and tourism. It must have an individualistic feeling.

Cool ha!

See you on Thursday. Remember that 2 groups will be presenting interesting cases. Can't wait!

Dr. Tuna Tasan-Kok