I spend a lot of time thinking about the experience of a city – what it feels like to live, work, or visit an urban place – and how often this experience isn't very urban at all, if we understand "urban" to be spaces and places characterized by nearness, closeness, proximity, convenience, and community. If a city is supposed to put the things and the people we want near within easy reach, then most U.S. cities aren't very city-like.
The experience of most cities – in our region and beyond – is not that dissimilar to how we might experience a suburb. The main difference is that the inconveniences of having to get around by car are multiplied in urban landscapes when you and everyone you know is forced into car dependency. I grew up in a typical U.S. city, and for much of my life I thought this was just what cities were: everything too far to get to without having to get in a car; congestion and fights over parking; too little space provided for people.
It wasn't until I moved and travelled that I realized what we want of cities and in cities is happening all over – from small villages to world-class metropolises. If our experience of the city is not the one we want, we can do cities differently.
This is what brought me to The Urbanist nearly 10 years ago, and it is what keeps me here still. Through its reporting and coverage, The Urbanist prompts and leads conversations that are moving us towards a more sustainable way of urban living. From housing to transportation, The Urbanist is where we can find critical, informed, and human-centered perspectives that engage us in the conversation and with one another.
Our spring fund drive is underway. This is the time to support your local urbanism news source. Our region is big and growing. With your support, we can grow our coverage and geographic scope, and perhaps even add reporting in languages other than English. As a donor, you are making a recurring investment in your community and in the livability of our region.
We aim to do more of that: we have rolled out a new and enhanced reader experience via our new website. And there’s more: qualifying donors will now be treated to an ad-free reading experience. Join us as a donor today!
Diego Batres
