David Byrne has always been quirky. That's a given, but reading this article about what his ideal city would feel like makes me realize that he's also got a pragmatic side. Don't get me wrong, his vision for an ideal city is an impossible mashup of everything he loves about a bunch of different places, it's a dreamer's city, the vision of an artist, but it's a thoughtful and down to earth distillation of his first hand experiences. He's making a transition, at least in my mind, from quirky art rocker to thoughtful urban evangelist.
The perfect city isn't static. It's evolving and ever changing, and its laws and structure allow that to happen. Neighborhoods change, clubs close and others open, yuppies move in and move out—as long as there is a mix of some sort, then business districts and neighborhoods stay healthy even if they're not what they once were. My perfect city isn't fixed, it doesn't actually exist, and I like it that way.
(Via @BikePortland.)
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