The American City Is Giving Up

Why cars are winning — and what that means for public life

I have a complicated relationship with American cities.

The time I spent formally studying them — from 2002 to 2008, between undergrad and grad school — will go down as some of the most formative years of my life. I lived those years because places such as Toronto, Buffalo, Boston, and San Francisco had given me a love for cities.

So I owe American cities a lot.

If it weren’t for the American city, I might not be living in a European city today.

When you’re a U.S.-born urbanist, you have to hold quite a few competing thoughts simultaneously. You recognize this fast — the first book you read in any 100-level class is Jane Jacobs’ classic, The Death and Life of Great American Cities.

First and foremost, you must be able to acknowledge that cities have their problems, but they’re not the total dystopian wastelands that the far right makes them out to be. You also have to give credit to the city where credit’s due — like I just did — but put some trust in the essence of who you are.

There’s something inherent in me that not only prefers, but thrives on the density of cities. The resulting “amenities” — proximity, public space, and a concentration of restaurants, bars, cafés, and shops — create an atmosphere I truly don’t think I could live well without.

It’s something I’ve always known, but have had reconfirmed every time I walk out the front door after more than a year living in Valencia, Spain.

So, when this is how you roll, it’s difficult to settle.

Yet so many people do settle. I find that really weird and difficult to accept.

A recent headline in San Francisco’s (fantastic) San Francisco Standard said it all: