Comments on: Small Worlds Theory and Livable Downtown http://www.tacomasun.com/2008/01/27/small-worlds-theory-and-livable-downtown/ Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:27:48 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Chris K. http://www.tacomasun.com/2008/01/27/small-worlds-theory-and-livable-downtown/comment-page-1/#comment-29 Chris K. Fri, 01 Feb 2008 04:40:03 +0000 http://www.tacomasun.com/2008/01/27/small-worlds-theory-and-livable-downtown/#comment-29 It should no longer be the policy of our city to chase investment, but to instead invest in ourselves by improving, supplementing, and expanding what exists today. We should endeavor to improve our urban form, business base, living standards, and human and social capital. It should no longer be the policy of our city to chase investment, but to instead invest in ourselves by improving, supplementing, and expanding what exists today. We should endeavor to improve our urban form, business base, living standards, and human and social capital.

]]> By: Erik Bjornson http://www.tacomasun.com/2008/01/27/small-worlds-theory-and-livable-downtown/comment-page-1/#comment-24 Erik Bjornson Tue, 29 Jan 2008 17:09:42 +0000 http://www.tacomasun.com/2008/01/27/small-worlds-theory-and-livable-downtown/#comment-24 <i>Living in what author Manuel Castells refers to as “the space of flows” we have lost the relational context that enables deep social transformation, the care of the created world, and the grounded identity of place. </i> That's the adventure. To try to physically rebuilt a city which makes this possible. Living in what author Manuel Castells refers to as “the space of flows” we have lost the relational context that enables deep social transformation, the care of the created world, and the grounded identity of place.

That’s the adventure. To try to physically rebuilt a city which makes this possible.

]]> By: Jen http://www.tacomasun.com/2008/01/27/small-worlds-theory-and-livable-downtown/comment-page-1/#comment-23 Jen Mon, 28 Jan 2008 03:42:11 +0000 http://www.tacomasun.com/2008/01/27/small-worlds-theory-and-livable-downtown/#comment-23 I have felt pretty strongly for a long time that the idea of "free agents" is a complete fallacy. Certainly for parents life is much simpler and happier with a strong social network in place, but I don't think it's just in the context of parenting that this need becomes apparent, it just makes it much more urgent. Humans are complex, social mammals. It's ridiculous to think we can conduct our lives without any real relationships and social ties. Think of the image of the rugged Western individualist, and how different that picture becomes when you imagine the worn out wife and starving kids next to him. Just because we can now be somewhat physically comfortable in "the space that flows" doesn't mean it isn't a very stressful, destructive way to live. I have felt pretty strongly for a long time that the idea of “free agents” is a complete fallacy. Certainly for parents life is much simpler and happier with a strong social network in place, but I don’t think it’s just in the context of parenting that this need becomes apparent, it just makes it much more urgent.

Humans are complex, social mammals. It’s ridiculous to think we can conduct our lives without any real relationships and social ties. Think of the image of the rugged Western individualist, and how different that picture becomes when you imagine the worn out wife and starving kids next to him. Just because we can now be somewhat physically comfortable in “the space that flows” doesn’t mean it isn’t a very stressful, destructive way to live.

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