1. What struck you as the most important, interesting, or relevant concept you read? Why?
The most interesting section in the reading for me was “The Land Ethic” which started on page 23. Of all the essays, I feel that this was the most relative to people today and the points that were raised seemed to have the most realistic answers. Specifically, I liked how the author began comparing our relationship to the land to the relationship of Odysseus to his slave girls. This comparison really hit home for me and illustrates that there is great potential for the current view on land to change. The over-arching theme that I drew from this essay is that cities are necessary for human culture and happiness and that it is not necessary to do away with towns in order to respect nature and land.
2. Are there any topics discussed that were unclear to you or you feel need further illumination?
I have to say that the very first essay, “The Three Magnets and The Town-Country Magnet”, starting on page 11, made very little sense to me. My first thought was that I don’t think it is possible to make the country more appealing than the town for most people. The rest of the essay was talking about a completely redesigned community which, to me, sounded exactly like a normal town only it was spread over 6,000 acres. The shape of the community, being circular, also raised an issue for me because I feel that the circle, having a definite center, would alienate the community members from the rest of the world and global issues.
3. Howard's Garden City complex was one of 250,000 population in a circle 10 miles in diameter with a central city and six ringed residential centers all linked by boulevards, canals and rail lines. How would your ideal sustainable city plan differ from his? Does the "garden city" concept relate to Bloomington
As I mentioned in the previous question, this design makes very little sense to me. It seems very segmented and disconnected from the outside environment. I really don’t see a problem with the most popular, block, type of city outline. I think by not concentrating shops in one area you are allowing for more private owned shops and less competition since people are able to keep business closer to home. I feel that is important not to make a town feel so confined and completely centered because that makes the town feel segregated and placed apart from global and national issues. I can’t really say if the “garden city” concept relates to Bloomington Bloomington
4. What was Mumford referring to when he contrasted a "cult of life" with a "cult of death?"
I gather that the “cult of death” is what the world will face if no action is taken towards the destructive forces that are currently taking place in the world’s cities. This translates to inactivity and lack of creativity, as well as acceptance of the way things are. Likewise, the “cult of life” is a new way of living which is active and experience.
5. What is the "land ethic" of Aldo Leopold? Do you agree with this philosophy? How did Leopold equate the hanging of slave girls on a single rope by Odysseus to our relationship to land?
As mentioned in the first question, yes I agree with this. I already described the hanging of the girls…
6. How did Jane Jacobs connect bloodletting and modern urban redevelopment?
I didn’t follow this argument very well. It sounds as if the author was trying to talk down modern urban redevelopment. Bloodletting was at first not backed by hard science and it eventually completely dissolved as a practice all together. Urban redevelopment is gathering the same social support as bloodletting did in its time despite the same lack of research and experience. The author concludes the whole argument by stating that the art of city design must “become the science and art of catalyzing and nourishing these close-grained working relationships.” So in the end it seems to me that she is advocating for urban redevelopment… I don’t understand.
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