Nynne Staal Parvang – “Urban life” guest blogger
///Nynne///
Seeing, hearing or reading about urban life always get me very exited and in a mood of exploration. What I think it comes down to is the fact that I can never truly grasp the (any) city as a whole, but only its fragments; bits and pieces give way to a broader understanding, but never makes clear what the whole is. This means that I never have to stop exploring, for the ‘thing’ that I am examining is constantly changing; new buildings arise, others are torn down, new shops open and old ones close, people move in and out, plants live and die, tourist comes and goes and so on and so forth.
I often describe cities as being like a gigantic maze. However, unlike when I’m in a maze, I love being ‘lost’ in a city, wander about and notice. Albeit, I am not a proper flaneur; I want to do more than just look and wander, I want to create! I want the city I live in to be a great, just, democratic and an exiting city at the same time.
So how do I unite my love for the unplanned, spontaneous city whilst at the same time see the plan as being necessary for cities to develop? I am a firm believer that the plan needs the unplanned and vice versa in order for the city to be both exiting and remotely democratic.
What I am advocating is that the plan have room for more impromptu urbanity and that planners listen to the locals. Having a local outset is always the best way to go I think, which is why I am honoured to be a guest blogger at Spotted by Locals!
