CITY LIFE

While on the train to DC earlier this week, I finished a delightful little book called "City Life," by Witold Rybczynski. The author's descriptions of a variety of cities, mostly in North America, made me thankful I've been able to travel as much as I have, as well as lament that I haven't traveled more. Cities are fascinating places, and the more I see and experience the more I want to see and experience more.

Much has been said about the growth of the suburbs - and indeed it's where populations are growing, and suburb-to-suburb commutes are replacing many of the traditional hub and spoke metropolitan patterns - but with gas prices and environmental awareness both on the rise, I wonder if our future in this country, and in the world, is an urban future. If so, would that people arrive there not unwillingly, but pleasantly surprised with the beauty and intricacy of the textures, smells, and sights of city life.