Three Ways Of Unlocking The Potential Of The City.

Cities emerge, but not in a vacuum.  They happen where there are people.  Where people choose to stay stacked on one another despite the inherent limitations of city dwelling. 

I write this post from a Paris studio in the 5th Arrondissement.  There's a bathroom, a bed and even a little kitchenette - that's it.  You could pee and cook all at the same time.  Oh, and it's really loud - garbage trucks, Vespa's, and hooligans are a never ending procession - and this is one of the quieter neighborhoods.  A place like this in Paris will go for no less than $500,000 euro.  Why would anyone subject themselves to such cramped living and pay top dollar for it?  Convenience?  Novelty?  Romance?

It's all that.  I'm sure of it and at the core of all that is one piece we hate to acknowledge - in a city we get more of each other.  After walking through amazing human feats of engineering and artistic expression like Notre Dame, the Louvre and the Pompidou (museum of modern art) it's easy to say what I'm about to say - people really are amazing.  In fact, research shows that when you get people stacked on top of people, in for instance a city, they are 50% more amazing.  They produce more, think deeper and more sophisticated than if they were to be by themselves.

So lets collaborate and here's some suggestions on how.

First, look up.  Be open to the people around you.  Whenever you are in a coffee shop, or bar ask the simple question "who is here that I need to meet?"  NOTE:  This is not a directive to hook up.  Ironically, the tired model of seeking connection through sex can often short circuit a meaningful connection.  The kind of looking up I'm talking about assumes you are really seeing, hearing and knowing the person you are meeting.  You'll find that this kind of connection leads to collaboration and collaboration leads to creation - just ask any band worth listening to.  Behind every good song is a band that's able to be present to one another.  

Hang with people that are not afraid to ask big questions.  Whether it be a church or a philosophy class, or some friends from the local pub, find people who go deep.  I know it can sound exhausting to go deep, but meaning is something we all long for, and has repeatedly shown in history to spur people on to great works.  Notre Dame is a good example of this.  You may not be religious but it's hard to deny some of the stunning creations those who do believe in God have created.  

Lastly, get involved in civic organizations.  A friend of mine sits on the Parks & Recreation Committee for Downtown and the issues they discuss are BIG.  They need more people, from different perspectives collaborating, bouncing ideas off one another in pursuit of synthesis.  Cities are full of potential, for good and for ill.  They are like magnifying glasses for the positive and negative potential of humans.  Through being proactive and running head first into the issues facing the city, we not only feel more connected to the city but the city begins to reflect our good intentions.  

As Epictetus put it, “A city is not adorned by external things, but by the virtue of those who dwell in it.” 

Story By: Jason Denison