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26 June 08: The Possible City:
The Mother of Invention
 by Nathaniel Popkin June 25, 2008 "Having never seen a city," writes Charles Mann in his seminal 1491: New Revelations of the Americas before Columbus, "its citizens had to invent every aspect of urban life for themselves." Mann was referring to the people who built the Mississippian city of Cahokia, near present day St. Louis. Cahokia, predominant from 950-1250 A.D., was the largest of the Indian cities of middle America, the only city north of the Rio Grande. I bring this up not to discuss ancient America, but to imagine the conceit of invention. Cahokia lasted only 300 years, and as Mann points out, it was more of a collection of agrarian interests than mercantile or cultural ones. Our own city has lasted about that long, and it probably won't disappear any time soon, but its survival certainly doesn't feel assured. Quite the opposite, in fact. There is no evidence that the population decline that began in the mid-1950s has abated, or reversed. Necessity is supposed to be the mother of invention. And thus, the need to survive ought to command a torrid new public policy. From Washington to Harrisburg to City Hall, we are seeing signs of it emerging around us. In yesterday's New York Times, former Senator and foreign policy expert Gary Hart says the new 30 year political cycle has started. The Democrats, he says, carry expansive new energy. Perhaps the cycle began here already, in January with the election of Michael Nutter as Mayor. Well, then, it's time to start inventing. If a new Philadelphia needs more people to survive -- and it does -- and the only likely major source is foreign immigration, let's talk about how we're going to get more people to come here. The murder of two bright new Philadelphians, Beau Zabel and Fassara Kouyate, isn't helping. But neither is the dearth of ideas on immigration. There are an estimated 10 million externally-displaced refugees world-wide, 24 million or so more cast out within the borders of their own countries. Would 50-100,000 or so inject new energy into our neighborhoods? Certainly. Would some fill labor shortages in some fields? Pretty likely. Would a great number benefit? Yes. Would it cost something? Enormously. Can a city without native constitutional powers actively pursue immigrants and refugees? Sure, and some do. At our recent For The Curious salon at Johnny Brenda's, City Commerce Director Andy Altman said that he was interested in forming alliances with the other, traditionally competitive (or hated), large cities of the east coast. The idea -- that Philadelphia's natural partners aren't necessarily regional but super-regional -- strikes me as a bold revelation in a world of $5/gallon gasoline. Together Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, DC have an awful lot to say to the nation about energy, transportation, trade, tourism, poverty, and education. And of course they have more in common than not. Creating such a block -- we'll call it the Atlantic Alliance -- would be a powerful hope for reasserting big, traditional cities into the American national narrative. Critically, dynamic new economic relationships would result. (It's worth comparing our five cities to the major cities of northern Europe and Scandinavia, where intricate business relationships keep those cities rich and productive.) Both these ideas -- the aggressive pursuit of immigrants and the formation of an Atlantic urban alliance -- posit a much broader-minded city. That sounds like a kind worth saving. –Nathaniel Popkin nathaniel.popkin@gmail.com For Nathaniel Popkin archives, please see HERE, or visit his web site HERE. |
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• 29 Apr 08: "This is not pie-in-the-sky" • 1 Apr 08: Recess/Re-assess • 7 Mar 08: One-City Art Movement, Open to Everyone • 24 Feb 08: Too late for the streetscape? • 15 Feb 08: "It really could be something." • 18 Jan 08: Estuary of Dreams • 11 Jan 08: More than shelter • 10 Jan 08: Nature's balance • 6 Dec 07: Snake uprising • 4 Dec 07: A Junction that ought to be • 6 Nov 07: Around the Mulberry Tree we go • 29 Oct 07: Wondering about wandering • 5 Oct 07: No other way • 21 Sept 07: Here is the Possible City |
