https://padlet.com/maryrocco2/ff8ao3743zxkby6o The urban human settlement pattern is not new. People flock to cities and have done so at various points in history and the present. Why? What is the draw? Add your response in a video or text post by double clicking directly on the image. en-us 2021-06-28 16:21:31 UTC 2021-07-08 00:17:41 UTC hello@padlet.com ehm2142 https://padlet.com/maryrocco2/ff8ao3743zxkby6o/wish/1629235228 Part of the attraction to cities, for many people, can be succinctly expressed by the cliché that “cities never sleep.” Wherever one goes in a city, it seems like there is always constant movement in some capacity. Movement does not only need to refer to people but can also refer to objects, time, and space. Another attraction to cities is the people who occupy them. Perhaps people venture to cities because they are lonely and enjoy the company of others, even strangers. Others may enjoy the cultural, intellectual gratification accrued by interacting with such a diverse group of people who live in a city. On a more basic level, cities provide people with the convenience that they desire. With transportation systems like subways or metros, an amalgam of activities and experiences are available to the public. Cities are also known to inevitably grow. The prospect of change and evolution of cities may be an attractive feature to those people who enjoy these frequent transformations.]]> 2021-06-29 01:38:28 UTC https://padlet.com/maryrocco2/ff8ao3743zxkby6o/wish/1629235228 https://padlet.com/maryrocco2/ff8ao3743zxkby6o/wish/1629459081 It is astounding that so many people choose to live in cities, considering that the streets are dirty, the noise is constant, and that residents are forced to spend far too much money on far too little space. To compensate for this, cities offer a lot of activities that are easily accessible to residents: good restaurants, good libraries, good events, you name it. While it is possible to be existentially lonely in a city, it is hard to be literally so: you are constantly surrounded by people, from on the street, to on the train, to on your floor if you, as most people do, reside in an apartment. The best part about cities is that you are not leading your existence from within a picket fence, or in your car, or on a suburb in the hill where the realities of homelessness are often swept under the rug. You are living among others in the most noble sense, and people, against all their better judgments for comfort and space and a probably easier life, choose to try their hand in an urban environment because they, too, don't want to be alone. ]]> 2021-06-29 03:58:52 UTC https://padlet.com/maryrocco2/ff8ao3743zxkby6o/wish/1629459081 sz2675 https://padlet.com/maryrocco2/ff8ao3743zxkby6o/wish/1629978607 In short, cities are attractive to people because of all the opportunities they offer, or we believe that they offer. These kind of opportunities are not limited to job opportunities. Living in a city means you have more diverse options to entertainment and better access to new information and trends. It is almost certain in most parts of the world that a new exhibition from overseas or a new flagship store of an international brand would open up in a relatively big city, not in the suburbs. However, like I mentioned, some of these so-called benefits of living in a city are what we choose to believe. Unlike early days, now you don't have to move to a big city to make a decent living or realize your dreams. To me, in present day, the move to cities has gradually become a myth that many choose to pursue only because people throughout history have done the same.]]> 2021-06-29 11:40:07 UTC https://padlet.com/maryrocco2/ff8ao3743zxkby6o/wish/1629978607 https://padlet.com/maryrocco2/ff8ao3743zxkby6o/wish/1630072874 Although there are a multitude of reasons that people opt to live in cities, I think a huge part of it is the desire to be surrounded by people. It's so interesting that people continue to move into cities like New York and that it's still so glamorized when we know that living in a city comes with its own set of problems. People are drawn to cities, in part, because they provide lots of job opportunities. However, we know that's not the only draw because if it were, we'd probably see a lot more people just opting to commute into the city for work from nearby towns. Another part of it is the excitement and sheer number of things going on. While cities offer restaurants and entertainment, I think there's something attractive about just being surrounded by lots of people. Cities allow people to feel like they're connected to thousands of other people and are part of a bigger community. In a city, you're surrounded by people who all, like you, have chosen to live here for better or for worse. ]]> 2021-06-29 13:04:15 UTC https://padlet.com/maryrocco2/ff8ao3743zxkby6o/wish/1630072874 https://padlet.com/maryrocco2/ff8ao3743zxkby6o/wish/1630167911 Particularly in terms of city life vs. suburban life, though, cities have a lot more to offer in terms of opportunities, convenience, and community. Historically, people have always flocked to cities to pursue better work and educational opportunities, and they still do. Un]]> 2021-06-29 14:10:25 UTC https://padlet.com/maryrocco2/ff8ao3743zxkby6o/wish/1630167911 https://padlet.com/maryrocco2/ff8ao3743zxkby6o/wish/1630199603 I believe a great draw of cities is the abundance of resources and opportunities. In a city, there are more diverse job opportunities, more ways to engage with art or other cultures, for example through museums, events, or restaurants, and simply more activities and entertainment at one’s fingertips. Societal understanding of a fulfilling life has shifted from one of nature, stability, and peaceful settling down to one filled with experiences, activities, friends, and constant stimulation, all of which is provided more readily by a city than slower, more remote rural living. In other words, cities satisfy our constant need to be doing something with someone in order to live life to its “fullest” while satiating the fear that in some way we are missing out or doing less than anyone else. I think it’s interesting that other people here have mentioned community and living among others as a draw, as I tend to view cities as more individualistic and isolating, perhaps because I grew up in a small, rural town.]]> 2021-06-29 14:33:32 UTC https://padlet.com/maryrocco2/ff8ao3743zxkby6o/wish/1630199603 blindatianf https://padlet.com/maryrocco2/ff8ao3743zxkby6o/wish/1630264041 2021-06-29 15:18:16 UTC https://padlet.com/maryrocco2/ff8ao3743zxkby6o/wish/1630264041 https://padlet.com/maryrocco2/ff8ao3743zxkby6o/wish/1630319772 2021-06-29 16:06:33 UTC https://padlet.com/maryrocco2/ff8ao3743zxkby6o/wish/1630319772 https://padlet.com/maryrocco2/ff8ao3743zxkby6o/wish/1630357256 I believe many people move to cities to have access to more and a greater diversity of resources, such as jobs and education. Some flock to urban environments to find other like minded people, as cities have also functioned as havens for creatives, activists and other people existing on the margins of society. People also move to cities for economic reasons, as cities have historically been places to buy and sell goods (particularly port cities, such as New York). ]]> 2021-06-29 16:41:42 UTC https://padlet.com/maryrocco2/ff8ao3743zxkby6o/wish/1630357256 https://padlet.com/maryrocco2/ff8ao3743zxkby6o/wish/1630363420 For centuries cities have served as economic, cultural, artistic, and social hubs drawing in a multitude of people from different backgrounds and for different reasons. Not only do they provide entertainment and endless social interaction, but they also allow communities to connect and form their own individual identities. For me a major draw is the ability to find a distinct neighborhood, one that you can call home, but also having endless other neighborhoods and segments of the city with their own identities, resources, and attractions to utilize. Cities draw people in because they provide so many resources at such close proximity. It has been fascinating to see how the last year has reshaped cities, and I'm excited to see where our discussion of what makes cities so appealing can include the patterns we have seen this past year. ]]> 2021-06-29 16:47:52 UTC https://padlet.com/maryrocco2/ff8ao3743zxkby6o/wish/1630363420 https://padlet.com/maryrocco2/ff8ao3743zxkby6o/wish/1630368565 My mother and father immigrated from India to Chicago and New York respectively, and for them, it was largely about job opportunities and already knowing people in those cities; the fact that people flocked there before them was a draw. Diversity in race/culture/class has always been a draw for me; I have always lived in a big city and I tend to be a little uncomfortable when I'm in a rural area and there are hardly people of color there (although I recognize that there are several non-cities that do have people of color, but as someone who lives in Chicago, surrounding rural areas tend to lack that kind of diversity), and that makes me want to continue living in cities in my life. Cities are also seen as "fun;" there's always something to do and something to see. ]]> 2021-06-29 16:52:09 UTC https://padlet.com/maryrocco2/ff8ao3743zxkby6o/wish/1630368565 https://padlet.com/maryrocco2/ff8ao3743zxkby6o/wish/1630369352 Cities are able to provide convenience to those who seek it. There is wider access to public transportation and even sidewalks. There is also the convenience of having a multitude of cultures, which allows commonality and diversity.]]> 2021-06-29 16:52:55 UTC https://padlet.com/maryrocco2/ff8ao3743zxkby6o/wish/1630369352 kjm2203 https://padlet.com/maryrocco2/ff8ao3743zxkby6o/wish/1630371036 Cities offer closeness -- closeness to other people and government facilities and businesses. For example, you might only have to walk a couple of blocks to get food at a grocery store, and just a short ride on public transportation to go to the doctor. With more people around also come more jobs, and opportunities for business. 

]]> 2021-06-29 16:54:37 UTC https://padlet.com/maryrocco2/ff8ao3743zxkby6o/wish/1630371036 https://padlet.com/maryrocco2/ff8ao3743zxkby6o/wish/1632815605 Sorry for the late response but for some reason I couldn’t add anything before. Cities are great because they are the core of the greatest ways humans can experience life together-leisure and business. Cities tend to be the center of economic activity, thus the demands for concentrated masses for leisure and business produce bustling metropolises full of malls, stores, theaters, etc.]]> 2021-07-01 04:00:35 UTC https://padlet.com/maryrocco2/ff8ao3743zxkby6o/wish/1632815605 https://padlet.com/maryrocco2/ff8ao3743zxkby6o/wish/1640934183 Sorry for the later response- my Wifi was out this part of class due to a power outage and I just saw this. Nevertheless, cities are great because they are melting pots that attract different cultures, opportunities, and oftentimes the greatest, innovative minds. Cities encourage people to collaborate for the greater social good due to the way resources need to be allocated in a dense space. Cities also allow people to access these resources in an efficient manner because of how convenient their locations are. People are immersed in a fuller 3-D experience where they can access (first-hand) much of what life has to offer to them, oftentimes for affordable prices. At least this is the case for New York City. ]]> 2021-07-07 23:29:22 UTC https://padlet.com/maryrocco2/ff8ao3743zxkby6o/wish/1640934183