First of all, in context, my first quote should've read as:
"Communities are the human, emotional and cultural nodes of the complex system of systems that comprise a city. They are where the city's systems - transportation, commerce, food, energy, safety, education, healthcare - are organically fused. THEY ARE WHERE INTEGRATED NOVELTY IS CREATED OUT OF RADICAL COMPLEXITY. They are where safety, prosperity, innovation, and social cohesion can rise out of diversity of cultures and of use, as Jane Jacobs argued in her classic book. "
So, Jane knew about this all along. Damn Jane.
More quotes from Rosabeth and Stanley's Manifesto for Smarter Cities:
"When cities are segregated by group (e.g., by race, ethnicity, or language), and members of subgroups have no connections with others, they can become vulnerable to symptoms of social disorder (such as illness and crime), which threaten everyone's quality of life, not just that of the at-risk population."
"An effort was mounted in the 1960's to develope and fund "Model Cities" with the idea there was one model for effective city and a social safety net, but it bogged down in arguments between community social services rather than job creation and economic development, and did not address the interconnected nature of organisations that make cities great."
Perhaps this is a description of current great cities of world - great social services provided to a population unwilling or unable to propel and maintain itself. I am being harsh considering that I live in a third world city on the right end of the blanket. But it does seem to feel as if the great cities were created from opportunity and nepotism. Or, maybe, it was actually the best idea in that moment. To counter my display of horrible attitude, I suggest being the best resource there is and thinking about how cities are great. And how their greatness aids their planning and how their planning aids their greatness.
Alternatively, I read something interesting last week: To trust is to be careless.
According to jewish philosophy. According to Dr. Henry Cloud, to trust is to know that someone is looking out for you even when you're not looking out for you. Dr. Cloud has obviously not being socialised. Nor has he studied insecurity.
Combine the two streams of thought above: architecture and planning and philosophy, the Indians had their own version of feng shui - vedic architecture. Sthapatya Veda is the science of building in accordance with Natural Law. This law states that individual intelligence and its interconnectedness with the Cosmic Intelligence of the galactic universe is the most precious feature of life. Further, every particle of matter - everything in creation - is in perfect harmony with everything else and maintains eternal order in the ever-expanding, ever-evolving universe. Concisely, North and East are the only auspicious directions in which a building can face.
In conclusion, the library has granted me amnesty. Celebrate my near-brush with crime and punishment and feast your eyes on my first ever contribution to an amateur exhibit:
