City States

A few fragments from recent news. First, in the Inky, a new study of traffic in center city, occasioned by the increase in people living here and using the city at all hours of the day. The study may recommend, among other things, reducing the number of bus stops, which yr humble author supports, as it addresses a minor but sharp annoyance. Philly buses really don't need to stop on every block, and would be much more efficient if they didn't. But, alas, this is not a transportation blog.

Earlier this week, the ArtJournal enewsletter led me to a related story in the LA Times Magazine about Mayor Villaraigosa, and the struggle to keep Los Angeles on the list of world class cities. The writer name-checks a futurist named Paul Saffo, who apparently has in his quiver of theories one about the demise of the United States and concurrent rise of the American City-State.

I couldn't help but get excited at the notion of the rise of the city-state, perhaps because the savory whiff of Italian romance that comes along with it (Firenze! Siena! Lucca! Venezia!). Still another kind of blog needed for that kind of detour, but also because the arts & culture sector seems to play a more... visible, or prominent, role in the life of cities. [I won't say 'more essential,' because that would slight the importance of the arts in suburbia, exurbia, ruralia and beyond--and I just don't know that that's the case...] The financial "ecosystems" that support our arts organizations tend to be city-based...

And while we're at it, there's today's NYT article about Dumbo & the tactical use of artists to "force" gentrification. It's everywhere.

Cities. Art. Renaissance. A familiar and congenial formula, but not law of nature. discuss.