What’s a city? Quite a simple question.
But until today, I have never seen a definition. Famous urbanist Jane Jacobs has come up with a definition in 1969, that still seems to be widely accepted as the norm:
City – a settlement that consistently generate its economic growth from its own local economy.
Town – a settlement that does not generate its growth from its local economy and has never done so.
(Via the FreeLibrary.com)
An interesting discussion on the definition of a city in the UK
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How about its people, how about its tradition, its language, its music, its dance, its clubs and theaters and its graffiti? How about its houses and streets, its air, its colors, its famous and anonymous stories?
Indeed! That’s a city too!
I think (and this is purely what I think off the top of my head) what defines a city and a town, is the multi-cultural dimension of the place in talk. Physical differences (i.e. entertainment, attractions, architecture, and etc.) can only be what we traditionally perceives as the deciding factors in making a city different from a town. Some of the things we think that makes a city a city and a town a town, may very well be ubiquitous in every city and every town, respectively. But, just by these physical differences we cannot say “these are what cities (and towns) are made up of.” Because these things can also be present in the other.
Nonetheless, if we define a city as “a community that attracts different people from different places, from whom it generates growth and advancement in terms of economics and culture,” then the difference between a city and a town is crystal clear. (even if we set aside all the physical factors). A city, according to that definition, is a cultural, economic power house, acting as a collection center and hub of all indigenous things that arrive from surrounding areas. It never in a true sense generates growth from its own indigenous resources, but it provides a bazaar for the interaction of all the surrounding population. The key point here, ironically, is that it should NEVER achieve growth from its own resources.
Quite busy street but looking nice.
@DPGU800 Interesting to read that you have yet another very different definition of a city! There are many definitions and opinions, that’s clear!
Nice to see a discussion about it!
Just coming back from my first trip to NYC (arguably one of the best cities in the world), I think it needs ethnic diversity, cheap/fast public transportation, street food and public gathering areas.