The role of the city is changing today more than ever. The role of the city has changed from where everyone was in one place, to where people worked, and now the role of the city is changing again. When immigrants first came to this country, they would just go the cities where the work was. Not only that, but they would typically live close to work, because there wasn’t really much transportation. Heck, just about everybody worked close to where they lived. That would all change with the invention of the car, and other faster forms of transportation.
After World War II, the American family didn’t want to live in the cities anymore. It was too noisy, too crowded, and there wasn’t much space to live. The suburbs were where it was at. As houses started to spring up in planned communities, and people loved the fact that they could just get away from life, and live in a quiet space, the cities became more of a place to just work. You would commute to the cities, and go to work, and then just come home to your house.
However, that has changed again in recent years. I know in my hometown that there is a huge push to make the downtown area a desirable place to live again. A lot of the young people in the area, including myself, live in the city, and there are a lot of advantages to do so. I think we all realize that all the good stuff is in the downtown area of a city anyway. The bars, the nightilfe, the art, sports, and everything else is typically going to be downtown.
So if everything is downtown, why would you want to live in a suburb? Yes, there are disadvantages like lack of parkiing, noise, and sometimes lack of space. However, with that comes a lot of people, and a lot of chances to meet people. You don’t always get the chance to meet people in the suburbs unless you want to meet a soccer mom, or other people just like you. There isn’t a lot of just people having fun going to a bar, and meeting people .
This is where the role of the city comes in. The role of the city has always been to attract people to one place for a one stop experience. However, it used to be more of a business thing, and then you would use the city to attract people to the surrounding area. Now cities are the place to be when you want to really have a life. Why not put yourself in the middle of what you area has to offer? As I said earlier, whether it be sports, arts, nightlife, or just the chance to meet people, why not go downtown?
The city is making a comeback these days. People don’t want to be isolated from other people anymore, or at least they want to be close to where the action is. The city is where you can meet people, and really see and do things. If city planners are smart, they will make cities more desirable for families, and just about anyone else who wants to experience city living.
