"Character is Key"- McMahon on the meaning of a "sustainable" city

The Atlantic is giving a voice to a thought provoking by Edward T. McMahon on the sustainability of cities and the importance of "character" in the success of cities. This blog is all about making city life, specifically York City life, sustainable for families. Its prime thesis is that the answer lies in achieving a standard of living that causes the good to outweigh the bad in the equation of staying or leaving. McMahon reminds us that sustainability doesn't just happen, and that there is no magic bullet.

"At its most basic, “sustainable” means enduring. A sustainable community is a place of enduring value. Doug Kelbaugh, the dean of the University of Michigan School of Architecture, put it this way, “If a building, a landscape or a city is not beautiful, it will not be loved; if it is not loved, it won’t be maintained and improved. In short, it won’t be sustained.”

Distinctiveness involves streetscapes, architecture, and historic preservation but as Cortright points out, it also involves cultural events and facilities, restaurants and food, parks and open space and many other factors. “Keep Austin Weird” is more than a slogan; it is a recipe for economic success."

 

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