Building a City

How many of us grew up playing Monopoly, or built mini-cities with Lego's or other construction-related toys? In adulthood, I often wonder what it would be like to truly build a city, starting from scratch. I wonder what it would be like to be given a huge parcel of vacant land, consisting of hundreds of acres, and with unlimited resources at my discretion, begin building a modern city, block by block. Would I start with the beautiful residential neighborhoods filling the hills on the outer parts of the tract? Would I start with the strip malls along a pattern of streets not necessarily leading to anywhere in particular?

No, a city, if built from scratch, would begin in the center and build outward. The city's strength would lie in its core foundation found in the very center of the entire parcel of land acreage. While the beautiful residences built in the outlining hilly terrain would be a great asset to the overall city, the strength of the community would lie in the abilities of such residents to descend from their hilltop homes and all gather together in a core shopping district, a core cultural district, a core entertainment district. And even better would be those living in the lofts and adjacent neighborhoods of the core district; those individuals who breathe life into the early morning and late evening hours of the city simply by being there around the clock. Basic public services would be provided in the core because of its ease of access to all residents in the entire community.

The strip malls and outlying businesses also breathing life into the community would only serve to assist the traveler with needs that may arise going to and from the vibrant core. This includes the gas stations, the drug stores, and yes, even the grocery stores that give reason for a traveler to stop and purchase that gallon of milk on their way home. But the core, the core of the community remains the heart and soul of the community. It would be the reason for such city's success, and without adequate planning, the reason for such city's failure.

If this seems like such a no-brainer when thinking of how to build a city from scratch, why is it that so many communities continue turning their back on the central core? Why do so many communities today think that by merely investing in the outer shopping areas, the community will thrive on baseless, scattered foundations? Oh they may thrive for a short time, but the next time a new shopping area is built on another random tract of land, the city will be left with vacant boxes of no significant value to the community, in no significant geographical location to the community. Instead, communities need to get back to their roots. They need to appreciate the central core for the inherent value it provides. After all, it is the reason for the rest of the city thriving and the reason for the city's very presence today.