Thinking and Knowing

As I looked out once more from the fifth fooor of 2 Merriweather at Downtown Columbia views, a question came to mind.

When did cities become bad?

There was certainly a time when watching big buildings go up was cause for excitement. Think of old film footage of NewYork City. The development and density of NYC meant the Brooklyn Bridge, the Chrysler Bulding, Radio City Music Hall, Rockefeller Center.

Of course, Columbia was never intended to be that big but it was intended to be a city. Yet with each new component of the Downtown Plan set in motion, I see protests that this is taking Columbia away from its roots and its true mission. And the underlying assumption is that cities are bad.

As I went through school there were many times that teachers taught me a particular line of thought:

We used to think_______________. Now we know_______________.

We used to think gods and goddesses controlled nature and the planets.
Now we know about science.

We used to think illnesses were caused by humours.
Now we know about infections and antibiotics.

We used to think slavery was a part of life.
Now we know it’s wrong.

I think we all know that that old trope just doesn’t work in all situations. (Especially for that last one in particular.) I mention it because there seems to be a local feeling that:

We used to think cities were good.
Now we know they’re bad.

Blogger Dan Reed (Just Up the Pike) shares this bit of text referring to Montgomery County.

“...artificially replacing what had once been an authentic place.”

Mr. Reed asks,

Having grown up in Montgomery County, I sometimes wonder when there will be room for nostalgia about this place that is not rooted in

1) farms

2) 1950s suburbia

3) white people with farms or in 1950s suburbia

There’s quite a lot of similarities between HoCo and MoCo.

Back to last night. When I look at the buildings going up I imagine new people living, working, and enjoying life in Columbia. I imagine Columbia finally becoming the City it was meant to be.

We used to think:

Now we know:

Do we?

Is rural always better?

Was suburban an improvement?

What kind of development is best for people and the environment?

Comments

Getting Fresh

One of my favorite days in the Spring comes when this year’s list of Farmer’s Markets is released. That happened this week. New this year are markets in Old Ellicott City and the “Merriweather Market” which, according to the address, will be located here . I mistakenly thought at first glance that it was in the new-construction part of the Merriweather District. I find the name confusing considering its actual location. I’m going to guess that this market is an initiative of the Howard Hughes Corporation because the name seems chosen more for branding purposes than anything else. Alas, the market in Maple Lawn is gone. The thread on the markets on the County Executive’s FB page will provide you with quite the education in who actually runs the Farmers Markets vs what people often think is going on. Short answer: they are not chosen nor run by the county. Each market is an independent entity, sometimes started by community volunteers, other times supported by local businesses...

They Can Wait

This is not a typical Saturday post. That’s because, in my community, it’s not a typical Saturday. Oakland Mills High School, after years of deferred repair, needs massive renovation. It’s pretty simple: when you don’t fix a problem it gets bigger. The school system itself said the the OMHS school building was "no longer conducive to learning" back in 2018. 2018 . But Thursday the Boad of Education voted to push it out of the lineup of important projects which will be given the go-ahead to proceed soonest. In my opinion it’s a terrible decision and sets a dangerous precedent. To explain, here’s the advocacy letter I sent in support of Oakland Mills High School. I was rather proud of it. I am writing to ask you to proceed with needed renovation at Oakland Mills High School in the most timely and comprehensive manner humanly possible. I have read the letter sent to you by the Oakland Mills Community Association and I am in complete agreement. You are extremel...

What Kids Are Thinking

It’s a Monday in February, and if you guessed that a lot of Howard County students have the new cell phone policy on their minds, you’d be right. It will mean big changes and it will be stressful, no matter how much good we hope it will do in the long run. But on this particular Monday cell phones might not be top of mind, as amazing as that seems. Some kids will go to school wondering if they or family members will be seized by ICE. Some will fear that their parents’ employment will be purged by the ongoing rampage of Elon Musk and his cronies through Federal Government. Some fear heightened and renewed racism as programs that supprted Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are vilified and destroyed. Some worry that it soon won’t be safe for them to use the bathroom in school anymore. It goes without saying that some kids fear going to school every day because of the prevalence of school shootings. And look! Here’s something new to fear. That old hate group, Libs of TikTo...

Village Green/Town²

Search This Blog