Tuesday, March 01, 2005

idealizing our street..

I am very impressive with this week's reading. Especially, Goss' analysis of the contemporary retail built environment is very inspiring me. I have felt that the contemporary shopping malls become pseudo-community or miniature of city. Moreover, according to the Goss' analysis, the street in the shopping malls becomes "an idealized social space free, by virtue of private property, planning, and strict control, from the inconvenience of the weather and the danger and pollution of the automobile, but most important from the terror of crime associated with today' s urban environment." However, I think that this finding ironically proves us how important it is to make our streets safe and liable. According to Jane Jacobs, "streets and their sidewalks, the main public places of a city, are its most vital organs." Therefore, "to keep the city safe is a fundamental task of a city's streets and its sidewalks." Regardless of our personal taste and preference, we have to make our community safe in order to live our everyday life. The idealized street in the shopping malls can not replace our streets on which we live together. It seems conspicuous that as people try to escape themselves from their reality through the experience of pseudo-community or street, their dirty and dangerous streets continues to threaten their everyday life. Which is more important?

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