Letter from the editor

IN THE middle of last year, a friend moved from his home –and life – in London to a quieter life in the countryside.

The place was nice enough, with horses, and lots of country air. But, by month three, when he phoned me, he was miserable, finding the sounds of country life almost unbearable.I knew it would not be long before he returned to the city.

Small-town living is not for everyone. Granted, he wasn’t living in a place like sunny Knysna or Yzerfontein, but in a gloomy, marshy village.

When his employer insisted he return to the office, he happily packed up and made his wayback to his old life.

Smelly, busy, gritty, noisy, full of life and glitzy at times, the city was home for him.

He is one of many the “boomerang residents” across the globe who have decided small-town living is not for them.

Locally, we have seen the boom of small towns where, for many, it makes sense to get space and tranquillity for their buck, and yet places close to the inner cities are beginning to get an injection of new life from former residents.

I myself have moved to the city bowl. There is a lot to keep me here, and it seems developers and city keepers are doing all they can to re-imagine thriving cities.

It is important to note, as I write this, a growing number of homeless are also seekings helter in our cities, which have often been hostile to the poor.

Let us hope the new cities to emerge will take all their citizens into consideration, no matter their status, to ensure an inclusive and vibrant world where everyone is granted dignity.

Warm regards

Vivian Warby

vivian.warby@inl.co.za