Matt Jones picked up on Rodcorp’s discussion of New York as a ‘Story-machine’. A great introduction to Italo Calvino’s point that all cities work precisely that way and that this intangible – ‘virtual’ – aspect of cities is what differentiates the urban from just being ‘landscape’. Living in Ottawa, the capital of Canada, I’m always reminded that despite all that’s written about it politically it remains a small towns because it lacks narration. Towns become cities not only as they grow but as they become ’storied’.
Many now say that we are in a ‘post-urban’ mode – the Raleigh-Charlotte-Chapel Hill ‘research triangle’ in North Carolina is one example of the continuous city. The ’sprawl’. As Ken Hillis, author of Digital Sensations (Minnesota UP) recently pointed out, there is no centre and no public space except for the freeways.
I’m off to find out for myself Feb 22-26 when I’ll be at UNC-Chapel Hill to chat with people in Communication Studies, School of Information Studies and (even ;> ) some geographers. For those who know me, you won’t be surprised that I’m won’t miss Southpoint Mall.