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NIGHT PORTRAIT
of Columbia's
downtown orea as seen from across
peaceful lake Kittamaqundi.
Don lorlon -
Ploin Trvlh
to residents is possible employment
in o ne of the town's industrial
parks (where pollution is rigidly
controlled).
One fifth of Columbia's totalland
area has been permanently pre–
served for parks, lakes, or open
grassy spaces. Buildings are so
placed as to blend in with the land–
scape. Streets are purposely curved
to slow down through-traffic (thus
increasing pedestrian safety). Walk–
ways, bicycle paths , and foot–
bridges abound. Unsightly tele–
phone wires and TV aerials are con–
spicuously missing - they've gone
underground.
PLAIN TRUTH
June
1973
Respect for· Nature
Columbia has been designed with
the thought that manis not alone in
bis world. The town consists of five
"villages" situated around a cen–
trally located downtown area. In the
middle of each village are numerous
stores and shops. This makes most
goods and services within easy reach
of borne. The need for the long
shopping trip across town is thereby
reduced.
Even downtown Columbia shows
a sensitive concern for the environ–
ment. Instead of the usual concrete
and clutter normally associated with
downtown arcas, Columbia's city
center consists of severa! beautifully
designed structures ftanked by a
peacefullake on one side and by an
air-conditioned, indoor mall on the
other.
Rouse recognizes the fact that the
environment cannot be pusbed
around at will without suffering seri–
ous consequences. Tbis kind of
planning, wbich controls and bal–
ances growtb from the beginning,
and which enforces respect for the
natural surroundings, illustrates
what roan already knows about ur–
ban planning. But it also shows
what he has been generally unable
or unwilling to implement on a
large scale.
Most city planning has tended to
overlook these vital concepts. Envi–
ronmental considerations are usu–
ally forced to take a back seat to
economic considerations where the
primary question is: ' 'How much
revenue will so much space pro–
duce?"
As a result, we find ourselves liv–
ing
in
the "age of the bulldozer."
Urban development often has about
the same effect on the vegetation
and natural environment as the pas–
sage of a tornado. Woods, parks,
fields, and streams are usually dev–
astated to clear the way for ex–
panding urbanization.
An " Answer of the
Spirit"
Columbia is an exceptional ex–
ample of a city which has taken def–
iní te steps to alleviate urban
dehumanization.
Yet, is Columbia - and towns
like it - the ultimate panacea to the
massive problems plaguing the big
cities of the world?
Remember, solving any problem,
especially city problems, hinges
upon removing the problem-spawn–
ing causes! What most have over–
looked is the fact that the real roots
of city woes lie in what really makes
up a city - people.
Most urban woes are spawned by
this one basic cause - faulty people.
People produce garbage. People
commit crimes. People pollute.
People create slums. Cities are fun–
damentally people. Urban problems
are essentially people problems.
Enhancing the urban environ–
ment does, of course, affect humans.
But changing the physical surround–
ings will not, of and by itself, suffice.
If a person is a criminal
in
a broken–
down tenement, the chances are he
will still be criminal in a beautiful ,
new apartment complex. Something
else must be added - to him! There
must be a change in bis mind, char–
acter, and very being, as well as in
his environment.
It is, therefore, imperative that
human beings be upgraded every
bit as much as their environment.
People must be educated away from
selfish altitudes and modes of be–
havior. And education is a matter of
a change in the mind - the human
spiri t. Human beings must actually
experience a mental and spiritual
renewa1 for cities to really work.
One housing official put it this
way: "We find ourselves ... ragged
in the spirit. Ours is a crisis of the
spirit, and to a crisis of the spirit, we
need
an answer of the spirit."
But is such an answer of the spirit
possible in today's world? Does any–
one really have the power and au-
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