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An article talking about America's cities and religion. Hey, this was made for City Data discussion:
The Liturgy of the City Street, by Paul Grenier and Tim Patitsas (broken link)
The premise of the article: Why are good cities such a rarity in America? Why are so many of our cities and towns lifeless and ugly—and hard to love? What are they missing? It’s the spirit of the liturgy.
It also sums up perfectly why I hate cities. The only thing I hate more than cities are suburbs.
I would think that most cities are ugly and hard to handle because its simply too much to handle---not because there is not enough religion. If you look at some of the international "beautiful" cities of the world, you will notice that there are plenty that are non-religious, beautiful, and well-kept.
That was a pretty good article and I agree with what it's saying. I'm not quite sure it fits into religion but it does point out something about the human need to express themselves and how a revitalized city that's designed properly can be uplifting to the human spirit (of course I don't mean that in the religious sense). I spend alot of time on forums that deal with architecture and skyscrapers because it's always been an interest of mine. Unfortunately, where I live in Phoenix there has been little attention to the importance of design and how that affects people. Instead we have look alike houses as far as the eye can see and generally the architecture is very uninspiring and bland.
I've had the pleasure of walking down the streets of places like Paris and Rome and I'm afraid we've forgotten how to create buildings and spaces that inspire people. I also really like modern architecture though and Hong Kong is one of the most exciting places I've ever been. In America, besides New York and Chicago there's not many big cities that have architecture that inspires anyone. Sadly, much of our country is filled with strip malls, dull office parks and architecture that's downright depressing.
I would think that most cities are ugly and hard to handle because its simply too much to handle---not because there is not enough religion. If you look at some of the international "beautiful" cities of the world, you will notice that there are plenty that are non-religious, beautiful, and well-kept.
That was a pretty good article and I agree with what it's saying. I'm not quite sure it fits into religion
Chew on this:
"If we think what is really best for Pimlico we shall find the thread of thought leads to the throne or the mystic and the arbitrary. It is not enough for a man to disapprove of Pimlico: in that case he will merely cut his throat or move to Chelsea. Nor, certainly, is it enough for a man to approve of Pimlico: for then it will remain Pimlico, which would be awful. The only way out of it seems to be for somebody to love Pimlico: to love it with a transcendental tie and without any earthly reason. If there arose a man who loved Pimlico, then Pimlico would rise into ivory towers and golden pinnacles; Pimlico would attire herself as a woman does when she is loved. For decoration is not given to hide horrible things: but to decorate things already adorable. A mother does not give her child a blue bow because he is so ugly without it. A lover does not give a girl a necklace to hide her neck. If men loved Pimlico as mothers love children, arbitrarily, because it is THEIRS, Pimlico in a year or two might be fairer than Florence. Some readers will say that this is a mere fantasy. I answer that this is the actual history of mankind. This, as a fact, is how cities did grow great. Go back to the darkest roots of civilization and you will find them knotted round some sacred stone or encircling some sacred well. People first paid honour to a spot and afterwards gained glory for it. Men did not love Rome because she was great. She was great because they had loved her." (G.K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy)
Why is it that despite all this well-financed New Urbanism, we still have practically no cities in the United States that rival in their humanity even an average small town in Mexico or Macedonia, to say nothing of a Paris or a Prague? Why is it that the more money we throw at building 'traditional' new 'developments', the more banal and pointless they become?
That's easy. The design and implementation of American cities since the 1960's have been predominantly based around the automobile. I'm obviously not a "car-hater" (we own two), but much more thought and attention is given to how a building is designed around the automobile than around the people that will occupy it. And sadly much of it is forced upon architects through a myriad of regulations and codes. It has created "revitalized" cities that look great from the superhighway as you are racing by at 80mph, but hostile environments for pedestrians. They have little "sense of place".
I can see how this is related to religion, or at least spirituality. If you happen upon a certain area of a city where there is a strong "sense of place", it can truly be a spiritually uplifting experience. Downtown Chicago along the riverfront, or in the new Millennium Park, or walking in the core along State St are great examples. Every bit as much as standing in the presence of a tall waterfall, in a densely wooded forest, or gazing from a mountain peak.
That's easy. The design and implementation of American cities since the 1960's have been predominantly based around the automobile. I'm obviously not a "car-hater" (we own two), but much more thought and attention is given to how a building is designed around the automobile than around the people that will occupy it. And sadly much of it is forced upon architects through a myriad of regulations and codes. It has created "revitalized" cities that look great from the superhighway as you are racing by at 80mph, but hostile environments for pedestrians. They have little "sense of place".
Right on. I totally agree.
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). I spend alot of time on forums that deal with architecture and skyscrapers because it's always been an interest of mine. Unfortunately, where I live in Phoenix there has been little attention to the importance of design and how that affects people. Instead we have look alike houses as far as the eye can see and generally the architecture is very uninspiring and bland. 
