Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I've noticed that most of the focus on this forum is on the major cities. Chicago vs New York, Austin vs Boston, who has the best skyline, who has the best entertainment, etc.
Is there anyone on here that identifies with rural America first, and the cities second? When I think of Illinois, I think of the farming communities and farmland, not Chicago. When I'm driving west, I get excited when I finally get past the last of the Chicago burbs so that I can finally see some scenery that is interesting (to me). When visiting Texas, I could care less about Dallas or Houston. To me, Texas is cattle country, and I am much more intrigued by rural Texas than urban Texas.
Most of the "culture" and "entertainment" in big cities, to me, is just a waste of my hard-earned money (with a few exceptions). Bars, restaurants and sporting events = waste, to me.
Am I alone on this? From reading this board, I would guess that no one really cares about what happens outside the city limits in the U.S.
Also... has anyone ever considered the idea that rural areas could exist without urban areas, while urban areas absolutely depend on rural areas for survival? (FOOD!!)
Also... has anyone ever considered the idea that rural areas could exist without urban areas, while urban areas absolutely depend on rural areas for survival? (FOOD!!)
Rural and urban areas need eachother. Neither would survive without the other.
I like any area that is unique and interesting. That can be small rural towns, large cities, ski towns, beach towns, and college towns. I just don't like suburbia (1950s white flight suburbia and beyond), or exurbia. I do like the old street car suburbs that were built in the late 1800s - 1940s.
Some small towns are just as cultured as large cities, but usually need a college to attract educated people to them. For intelligent entertainment like theaters, symphonies, art/science museums you need to be in a large city. I could understand not wanting to live in a large city, but for people that do not enjoy art/science museums I feel that they are very close minded, and not intelligent.
Rural and urban areas need eachother. Neither would survive without the other.
That is probably true today... they are very interconnected. But in a very general sense... I could live off the land in a very primitive way in the middle of nowhere if I had to. I don't NEED an urban area to survive. Think Native Americans.
I just want to see urban areas and rural areas all converge. Screw the idea of a "town" or "city". Lets just turn every rural area, farm land, and forested area into one large exurb. Housing plans, Walmarts, and Targets as far as the eye can see from coast to coast! Lets destroy every small town, and large city neighborhood!
Wouldn't Old Faithful look really cool in the center of a huge Walmart Parking lot. It could be like a fancy fountain in the middle for people to look at when parking their cars!
That is probably true today... they are very interconnected. But in a very general sense... I could live off the land in a very primitive way in the middle of nowhere if I had to. I don't NEED an urban area to survive. Think Native Americans.
You could live off the land like the Native Americans years ago; as long as you don't mind your life expectancy to be around 30 years.
I just want to see urban areas and rural areas all converge. Screw the idea of a "town" or "city". Lets just turn every rural area, farm land, and forested area into one large exurb. Housing plans, Walmarts, and Targets as far as the eye can see from coast to coast! Lets destroy every small town, and large city neighborhood!
Wouldn't Old Faithful look really cool in the center of a huge Walmart Parking lot. It could be like a fancy fountain in the middle for people to look at when parking their cars!
Only 6.1% of the land in the U.S. is considered "developed" or "rural residential" (this includes suburbs). So it's going to take A LOT of developing if you want to pull that off!
Only 6.1% of the land in the U.S. is considered "developed" or "rural residential" (this includes suburbs). So it's going to take A LOT of developing if you want to pull that off!
That is probably true today... they are very interconnected. But in a very general sense... I could live off the land in a very primitive way in the middle of nowhere if I had to. I don't NEED an urban area to survive. Think Native Americans.
You could survive. But if society in general had no Metropolitan areas, we would be pretty primitive and backward. Throughout human history, cities have served as the gathering places for the best and brightest scientists, engineers, writers, artists, musicians, etc. They are the places where a society displays it's culture, advancements, and diversity. Persepolis, Babylon, Rome, Athens, Cairo, Timbuktu, were/are all barometers by which we can guage how far society has com, what still has to be done, and what direction it will go.
The city is the sum of any given society's instruments of forward progress. Without it, a society is fractured and stagnant.
You could survive. But if society in general had no Metropolitan areas, we would be pretty primitive and backward. Throughout human history, cities have served as the gathering places for the best and brightest scientists, engineers, writers, artists, musicians, etc. They are the places where a society displays it's culture, advancements, and diversity. Persepolis, Babylon, Rome, Athens, Cairo, Timbuktu, were/are all barometers by which we can guage how far society has com, what still has to be done, and what direction it will go.
The city is the sum of any given society's instruments of forward progress. Without it, a society is fractured and stagnant.
Very true. I will give you that.
Without major cities, it would also be a lot more difficult to gain access to prostitution, drugs, gambling and pornography. I think I'm starting to come around on this issue, come to think of it
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
