|
Malainine Chbihna - Aljazeera Talk – Casa Blanca
 It is clear that the city, throughout history, shapes a very important element in which people can represent themselves in a safety manner. A careful look at the cultural legacy of the twentieth century city shows how it affects our ideas of community and even democracy. Actually, cities like Paris, Berlin, London and New York define the real meaning of a modern city. However, these places have inspired artists, writers, architects and film makers for centuries.
Yet will the city, in that sense, remain always that promised land for hopeless people ? Or will a modern city turn definitely to become a monster that absorbs everything even human being?
Initially, there are some Western cities which are associated with literary works which provides a fair outstanding to them. The case lies on London which is always remembered of Charles Dikens frame works in which city keeps its foggy face to reach transparency. For almost, the modernism school was connected with that axis of London, Paris, and New York. In addition, we have always look respectfully to artists who have reflected cities through their creativity in terms of public spaces,
sculpture, and architectures that help to determine our ideas about our place in the urban environment. In fact, modern city provides both a culturally resonant imagined space and a physical place for the daily life of its inhabitants. In that sense, the modern city is no longer that ordinary area that cares about its basic elements.
Basically, to scrutinise the modern city concept, one can have limits to his imagination while it keeps on the high standard of surprise. To clarify, man looses his identity since he becomes just a small entity among others which are more important. City like Dubai in U.A.E was only a deserted area time ago, now it turns to be a “digital city”. Here man looses the structure of time, place and identity. Instead, we gain the notions of economy, money and individualism. As a result the social status is no longer that decisive criterion. Seriously speaking, the modern city creates a state of instability in terms of values so it turns to be a real nightmare for its constituents.
Actually, in modern city there is no reciprocal actions between city and citizen by drawning together, literary, cinematic, architectural, and sociological evocations of the metropolis from the past two centuries. Cities are back in fashion at least in theory. Yet they juxtapose imagination and politics. As a result we are in front of an equation of city beside modernity.
Today, modern city looks like a strange place even to its inhabitants. That is to say, it blemishes the identity and all the components which form one’s personality and depends on technology as a primary means for existance. This, unfortunately, might leads to a city that could perish due to a very simple technological mistake. Then the outcome will be calamitous. No doubt, modern city will keep on growing and it has not reached its climax yet. We can assume now ,confidently, that no limits are ahead as far as modern city is concerned.
 |
Subscribe to this comment's feed