The duality of the city

One thing that constantly strikes me every time I see a city skyline are the two contrasting reactions I have: there’s the emotional, core part of me that is struck by the excitement, the bustle, the drive, the sensuality of the city and its gorgeous architecture and structure. That part of me is on 24/7 when I’m in a city. There’s a lot more detail I could go into in terms of my reactions.

Then there’s the realist part of me, the one that sees the city as a sort of flagship bastion of all that is wrong with the world: a small concentration of banking capital, surrounded by pockets of law and regulatory-influenced commercial outlays, all blanketed by projects, poverty, and violence which is the result of various policies and laws.

It’s an uncomfortable and quasi-ironic duality that I deal with, and I confront it on a daily basis, not just with cities but with other places (and things) as well.