8 questions about cities and culture
answers: lisa buttenberg [urban design | 24.11.2006]
1. Which city do you see as the nicest / best city that you know? What are its most important three aspects that make it so good? The nicest / best city I know so far is Berlin (Germany). It’s a very subjective and personal choice and the first aspect of my explanation: Berlin is the city where I was born and where I lived the former 21 years of my life. The second aspect that makes Berlin so good and interesting is: it feels like Berlin is complex made of a number of small towns (the districts / boroughs). Every “town” has its own advantages and disadvantages. But they’re not only single and seperated “small towns”. They’re well connected by a very efficient and well going public transport system and a radial system of main streets. The third reason is the import and interesting history of Berlin. It was divided in two parts. But after the reunion it became obvious that it’s one city: the same building, the same streets etc. The reunion present also a unique opportunity for the renewal of the city.
2. What are the most important three aspects to dislike a city? Is there a city or a place that you especially dislike for any particular reason? The main reasons to dislike the city is the feeling of standstill. When it seems like their isn’t any innovation, no movement. Usually I have this feeling in cities which are too clean, neat and decent. For me it feels kind of artificial. There is one city in Germany (in the South) with is a nice little city with beautiful houses, nive open space, parks etc.: Freiburg. The most people like Freiburg, but I’m not sure about it. For me it’s too nice and perfect. It’s perfect for a holiday, but i don’t want to live there.
3. Can a city or city life make you happy? In what sense? To live in a city is very importand for me. I was born and grew up in the middle of a big city. I’m used to have all the city typical possiblities, for example short ways etc. I don’t want to live in the countryside ever. I need a particular piece of anonymity. So I can do what I want without anybody who’s talking / gossip about me. Besides a city offers more possiblities in many ways: jobs, connections and relations to other people, a choice of a way of living etc.
4. What metaphor, quote, painting or film scene best describes your idea about the relation between cities and culture?
[I’m sorry, but I’m not really sure if that is the one picture. It’s hard to decide it, so I tried to make this choice quick and spontaneous.]
5. What is the importance of living or working in a city relating to your own profession? I want to be / I will be a urban planner, so the city will be my main “work surface�.
6. What ist the most important change or challenge that cities will face in the coming decade? The most importand change or challenge for cities in the coming decade is the need to make standing as a living space with a high quality of life. So the cities are capable to enter into a competition with the popular way of suburban living. It’s more than ever important in face of a coming energy crisis. We can’t go on with our energy consumption (in particular cars, commuting etc.). There a two more, but opposite challenges: the global urbanisation (in particular in South America, Asia and Third World Countries / Developing Countries) and shrinking cities (particulary in Europe). The phenomenon “shrinking cities” loom large in the former DDR (GDR). The cities have a very high unemployment rate and offer only few chances to the young generation. Moreover the whole German population faces the demographic change.
7. What is the best thing you remember that happened the last 12 months to a city? The last good things I remember were big events. Events which cause a huge public interest and work as an (national and international) attraction. In Berlin one of this events was the MOMA, which was for a time located in Berlin (but that’s more than 12 months ago). The best what German cities happened in the last 12 month was the Football World Cup. The cities were the centres of this event. That World Cup caused a huge touristic boom. But it also changed the way of living in the cities for a month.
8. What idea, thinker or movement, if any, do you think will be very influential in shaping cities and the way people live together in the future? I think we face various, ambivalent and conflicting movements and currents. This range of possible changes and challenges is inherently one attribute of the future of cities and the way of living. Another and one of the major issues is globalisation. Nobody really knows what globalisation means for the cities and the way of (citiy) living. Is globalisation causes the dead of the city? Or is it only changing the cities (the theory of the local economies)?