City Repair: Creating Democratic, Just, Dynamic and Soulful Cities

7 week course , 7 pm – 8:30 pm

 

 

Text Box: "Architecture and city planning are the visible translations of the total meaning of a culture. Each generation writes its biography in the buildings it creates; each culture characterizes, in the city, the unifying idea that runs through its activities." Mumford, The Lewis Mumford Reader, 165 “What makes one city more livable than another is not its economic surplus but what the citizens are willing to put into the collective enterprise above and beyond what they draw out.” Street Reclaiming, Engwicht, 169 “The greatness of any city can be judged by how well it integrates those on the margins into community life.” Street Reclaiming, Engwicht, 52

   Anchorage has a lot to offer, but how well does it satisfy our needs? What does it nourish, and what does it starve? A healthy, whole self needs a healthy, whole city. Does Anchorage provide places for association with strangers? Does it provide places for debate, and for lifelong learning? Does it support community? Does it protect the poor and the marginalized? Does it promote democracy, justice, and happiness?

   The physical form of a city is the expression of the culture that builds it, and our culture is in the throes of a massive transformative frenzy. We have embraced technology, globalization, and materialism, and the result is a remaking of the city itself. Long term trends include: the use of the car as the primary means of transportation; the privatization of public spaces; and single function vs. multi-function design. These elements create a mass culture but lead to a decline of the public realm, civic action, and democracy itself.

   Our grand parking lots are convenient, but they also produce a sense of uneasiness. Sometimes that uneasiness turns into nausea. Is it likely that one will meet a stranger there? Will there be a learning opportunity, a colorful diversion, an unexpected adventure?

   Everyday we make choices that re-create and sustain the city as it is now. Is this sufficient? Or shall we take steps to re-build public spaces and other features of dynamic, humane cities? Can we reclaim the city as a place where democracy, love and spirit thrive?

 

 

 

Class Meetings

Class 1  Introduction

Class 2  The modern city

Class 3  Visions: Modernism, sustainability, & livability

Class 4  Democracy and planning

Class 5  Economics, global and local

Class 6  Community, culture and spirit

Class 7  Alternatives: Public spaces and the commons

Class 8  Cars, sprawl, and street reclaiming

 

 

 

 

 

Fundamental Questions

 

Our cities: Why are modern cities so ugly? What is attractive about sprawl and suburbia?

Visions: What are the most important qualities of city life? What is the effect of city form on identity and choice?

Democracy: Who benefits from the current urban design? What is the place of the marginalized and the dispossessed?

Economics: Why have multinational corporations come to dominate economic life in Anchorage? How can we take steps to re-create a local economy?

Community and ethics: What is the effect of the built environment on moral and spiritual relationships? How can cities be a ‘crucible for evolving more noble life’?

Public spaces: How does privatization sap democracy and community? How can we re-build public spaces?

Transportation: What are the hidden costs of the car? What is the choice we have to make between speed and quality?

 

 

 

Huzanity School

Huzanity School is a place where people join together in the study of subjects of vital importance to daily life. It focuses on fundamental questions, it challenges our actual choices, and provides tools for change. It is a model for education which is based on direct understanding, without authority or dogma.

   The goal of Huzanity courses is not to gain knowledge or practical skills, but to ask and answer critical questions about humanity and society. Courses combine readings of classic and contemporary works, dialogue with fellow students, and opportunities for action in our community based on what is learned.

 

 

 

Courses

   Sign up sheets are available at Huzanity School and Dolce Edibles (the new café located in the same building). You can also contact us at 907-563-5634 or via our website, www.huzanity.org. Coming soon: Afternoon office hours.

   Classes have seven to fourteen students, and last 1 ½ hours. There are no teachers; instead, students rotate as facilitators, guiding the discussion based on provided materials. During the class, students review and evaluate the ideas presented in the readings, using the guidelines provided for each meeting. Each class begins with an activity, in which students have the chance to reflect on fundamental questions, and share personal experiences and views. Readings, which take one to two hours, should be completed before each class meeting.

   Each eight week courses costs $20, plus $5 for photocopies of readings.