What is a ‘City’?

The birth of a society or a city is well known to men of different thoughts, religious beliefs, or wander in respect to their idea of humankind assembling in a space to create a place for themselves to inhabit and dwell upon as a collective. When an amalgamation of clusters from similar or closely related populations understood that to prosper, an ‘assemblage’, must be considered, regardless of whether this approach is intentional or subconscious, the urban sprawl has been accepted for various sorts of reasons that cometh the need for this amalgamation. The complex and dynamic nature of urban space is described by Colin McFarlane’s ‘The City as Assemblage: Dwelling and Urban Space’ using the term ‘assemblage’. He contends that metropolitan places are generated by a sophisticated assemblage of social, geographical, and material factors rather than actual physical constructions. A heterogeneous group of components that join together to create a dynamic and complex whole is known as an assemblage. Physical structures, social conventions, technical advancements, and cultural practices are a few examples of these aspects. McFarlane emphasizes the dynamic and contingent aspect of urban space, challenging conventional ideas of the city as a fixed and static entity. By recognizing this complexity, we can take a more critical and nuanced approach to urban development that takes into account the various needs and viewpoints of city dwellers. The research paper seeks to develop arguments and connect different lenses and theories to argue the amalgamation of multiple societies creating a city as a living organ, analyzing how it may be birthed, functioned, and prospered.

Parasaipolis, Brazil

Theorists have argued that this synthesis has not been only due to the need for natural resources or cultivation and agriculture which derived the masses to grow as a collective, as Jane Jacobs may emphasize rural economies, including agricultural work, are directly built upon city economies and city work, she also emphasizes cities being primarily economic organs throughout her texts, yet exaggerates the importance of cities as larger living organs that cultivate various diversities and enigmas within themselves when the author states “Cities have long been acknowledged as primary organs of cultural development; that is, of the vast and intricate collections of ideas and institutions called civilization.”. According to Jane Jacobs, cities are both production and consumption hubs. She explains how the interaction of various economic activities, such as manufacturing, trade, and banking, leads to the development of cities. Cities, in the opinion of Jacobs, are where new concepts and technology are created as well as where new industries are born. She contends that cities foster innovation and entrepreneurship, making them more than merely the product of economic progress but also one of its primary drivers.

However on the contrary, when talking about the emergence of cities and a collection of masses or an assemblage, it may be seen from a different point of view, which Lewis Mumford talks about as the city can be described as a collection of primary groups and purposive associations. The former, such as family and neighborhood, are ubiquitous in all communities, while the latter is more characteristic of urban life. These diverse groups sustain themselves through economic organizations that are, to a greater or lesser extent, corporate or subject to public regulation. Moreover, they are all located in permanent structures within a relatively confined area. The city’s essential physical means of survival include fixed sites, durable shelters, and permanent facilities for assembly, exchange, and storage. Its social means, on the other hand, entail the social division of labor, which serves not only economic life but also cultural processes. The city, in its entirety, can thus be understood as a geographic network, an economic organization, an institutional process, a platform for social action, and an aesthetic symbol of collective unity. Mumford states that social drama is the radial arrangement in which it goes around for the city to thrive. Furthermore, the emphasis on a balance with nature and what comes with the role of women as well as enriching symbolic meaning as well, which can be precedent by Egyptians and Greeks, in Egyptian hieroglyphs, the word ‘mother’ may be represented by the symbols for ‘house’ or ‘town’ highlighting the similarities between personal and social caring roles. This is supported by the fact that ancient buildings, such as houses, apartments, and tombs, frequently include circular designs reminiscent of the first bowl depicted in Greek mythology, which was designed after Aphrodite’s breast.

When looking at the oldest civilizations we tend to move towards a subcontinental context, considering the civilizations of Harappa and Mohenjo Daro. We understand the prosperity of a society, initiated according to different theories consisting of the need for water, agriculture as a survival occupation, or just the need that allowed the people to bring forward a skillset and create a barter system in their way as a collective cell to progress as a whole. In ‘Trade and Technology of the Indus Valley: New Insights from Harappa, Pakistan,’ Jonathan M. Kenoyer explores the role of trade and technology in the development and prosperity of the Indus Valley civilization, focusing on the ancient city of Harappa.

Mohenjo Daro, Sindh, Pakistan

The article highlights the importance of water resources in the civilization’s success. The Indus Valley people developed sophisticated systems for managing and utilizing water, which allowed them to create successful agricultural practices and support a thriving trade network.

Additionally, the article emphasizes the advanced technologies developed by the Indus Valley people. These included metallurgy, pottery-making, and bead-making, among others. The article notes that these technologies were not only used for local production but were also traded and exported throughout the region. Signifying the importance of trade, much like a city, the Indus Valley people developed a thriving trade network that extended beyond their borders. They traded a variety of goods, including textiles, pottery, beads, and other manufactured items, with neighboring regions in present-day Iran, Afghanistan, and Central Asia. The article notes that the Indus River played a crucial role in their success as traders, providing a natural route for transportation and facilitating communication and cultural exchange between different regions.

The article also emphasizes the advanced technologies developed by the Indus Valley people, which contributed to their success in trade. The Indus Valley community were skilled metallurgists, producing high-quality copper and bronze artifacts that were in demand in other regions. They also developed sophisticated techniques for pottery-making and bead-making, which allowed them to produce high-value trade goods. Despite the civilization’s impressive accomplishments, the article acknowledges that there is still much to learn and understand about the Indus Valley civilization. One of the most significant mysteries is their writing system, which has yet to be deciphered fully. The article also highlights the civilization’s eventual decline and notes that the reasons for this are still not entirely clear.

Critiquing whether the precedent for this civilization can be termed as a successful attempt at a much-advanced civilization following its time and might be termed as a city, the article does not explicitly argue for or against the success of the Indus Valley civilization. However, it does present a generally positive view of the civilization’s achievements in trade and technology. The article’s emphasis on the civilization’s decline and the unanswered questions about their history suggests that there is still much to learn about the Indus Valley people and their legacy. Thus, as stated previously in the research links, a city may consist of different economic, social, and cultural activities, as J. Jacobs argues that cities are not just the result of economic growth and a driver of economic growth, as they provide a fertile ground for innovation and entrepreneurship. Irrespective of this, Mumford critiques the idea of the ever-growing idea of cities when he writes, “No single definition will apply to all its manifestations and no single description will cover all its transformations, from the embryonic social nucleus to the complex forms of its maturity and the corporeal disintegration of its old age. The origins of the city are obscure, a large part of its past buried or effaced beyond recovery, and its further prospects are difficult to weigh.”, which leads us towards considering the modern way of understanding the entanglement of cities and their multifaceted views towards designing and understanding the sprawl of a city. The design of cities is an intricate and multifaceted process that is influenced by a complex web of social, economic, cultural, and environmental factors. Considering the local context, we understand Arif Hasan’s article ‘Karachi’s Street Economy’ delves into the informal economy of Karachi and its influence on the city’s development. Hasan argues that the street economy plays a vital role in providing employment opportunities for marginalized communities, while also contributing to the city’s vibrancy and diversity. The design of the city must take into account the needs and activities of the informal economy, highlighting how social and cultural factors can shape the design of cities. Shilpa Ranade argues the importance of understanding how gendered spaces are constantly produced and reinforced through everyday practices and interactions in urban areas. By mapping the movements of women and other marginalized genders in the city, we can gain insight into the barriers they face in accessing resources, participating in public life, and shaping the urban environment. Ranade argues that gendered spaces are not fixed, but rather they are constantly shaped by social norms and power relations. For example, the way public spaces are designed and maintained can reflect and reinforce gender stereotypes and biases. Women may feel unsafe or uncomfortable in certain areas due to factors such as poor lighting, lack of public restrooms, or the presence of harassment. However, by incorporating gender perspectives into urban design and planning, cities can become more inclusive, equitable, and responsive to the diverse needs and aspirations of all residents. This can include strategies such as designing public spaces that are accessible and safe for all genders, providing gender-neutral restrooms, and involving marginalized groups in decision-making processes.

Kevin Lynch provides a framework for understanding the aesthetic and spatial aspects of urban design. Lynch argues that a set of urban elements, including paths, edges, districts, nodes, and landmarks, shape people’s perception and experience of cities. These elements can be used to create a coherent and meaningful city image that reflects the city’s culture, history, and values. Lynch’s ideas demonstrate how aesthetic and cultural factors can influence the design of cities, alongside practical considerations such as transportation and infrastructure.

The above-mentioned ideas have been pondered upon by architects in different manners, prioritizing different aspects of the times they breathed in. Such as the case of the Functional City concept, developed by the Congrès International d’Architecture Moderne (CIAM), which aimed to create a rational and efficient urban environment through the separation of different functions and the standardization of building types. While the Functional City concept has influenced many urban planning practices, it has also been criticized for its lack of consideration for the human experience of the city. The strict separation of different functions can lead to the fragmentation of urban spaces and the loss of the vitality and diversity that make cities so vibrant. In conclusion, each of these concepts has contributed to our understanding of the design of cities, but they also have their limitations. While Le Corbusier’s vision of the contemporary city emphasized efficiency and rationality, it often ignored the social and cultural factors that make cities such dynamic places. Howard’s Garden City concept aimed to create a more harmonious relationship between cities and nature, but it has been criticized for its lack of scalability and its reliance on a particular social and economic model. Wright’s Broadacre City concept emphasized autonomy and independence, but it neglected issues of equity and social cohesion. Finally, the Functional City concept aimed to create a rational and efficient urban environment, but it often ignored the human experience of the city.

Broadacre City by Frank L. Wright

Ultimately, all of what the discourses discuss and reflect upon, is the design of cities must take into account a wide range of social, economic, cultural, and environmental factors, and it must be responsive to the needs and values of the communities it serves. Which has been considered in precedents to be seen as lacking in one piece or the other, leading towards failures like The Plan of Bijlmermeer. Questions arise when we critique existing precedents, ideas, and theories put forward to understand the dynamics of the city and how it may prosper, in other terms, what is the oxygen(s) it may need to function as a living organism?