Zohra, Jon, Aaron, and Andrew
1) What do you think Kuntsler is saying about society?
Aaron: He says that the roots of our culture started out in small societies and we see that because we seek solace in small, rural communities. The scale of the global economy has resulted in the destruction of small communities from which most people originated. He also made it seem that suburban communities are not really communities because people are isolated and do not even know their neighbors. They are not self-sufficient and do not have to rely on each other; there is not ownership.
Andrew: There has been a shift in the way the communities form. Small communities have been taken over by large cities and urbanization.
Jon: I think he is arguing that as society becomes more urban we are losing touch with the small towns that built our country.
2) Do you agree with the idea that as the national economy grew, local economies ceased to be important?
Aaron: In mainstream culture, yes, because we do not really pay attention to small towns, probably because most people do not care. The only time we do care is when there is a disaster in small towns—putting massive amounts of money and resources into fixing the situation.
Andrew: Yes, people do not really pay attention to small towns. The nation’s economy is a reflection of all the small town’s economies. We cease to recognize this.
Jon: I do, after WW2 main street ceased to be a tangible thing and became an idea that politicians always use.
3) What does Kuntsler say about corporations?
Aaron: Corporations are important on a global, national scale. However, their headquarters are located far from most cities and so they move into small towns with small economies. They drain their resources and make the community depend on a foreign entity rather than the community itself.
Andrew: Large corporations make towns dependent on their company. If the corporation goes under, the community will also suffer.
Jon: He argues that these large corporations are robbing the country of it's local economies and history that helped shape the nation.
4) What environmental connections does Kuntsler make, or fail to make, in reference to urban planning?
Aaron: He points out that urban planning is created purely for the convenience of people and maximized profit. Environmental concerns are out of the question. Also, in the planning process the small town imitation in the suburbs leads to an increase in pollution. People need to travel long distances to work, burning fossil fuels. Increased transportation leads to the increase in highway constructions, which is also harmful for the environment.
Andrew: Urban planning is detrimental to the environment because of pollution.
Jon: He argues that the urbanization mixed with the apathetic attitude people take towards the environment is what makes it so dangerous.
5) What social issues does Kunstler point to as urbanization occurred?
Aaron: There is an increase in crime, poverty, poor education, poor health, inadequate access to basic necessities. Some cases there is total isolation from the rest of society.
Andrew: Also, there is a rise in teenage crimes. There is an increase in teenage pregnancy, drug abuse, and vandalism.
Jon: He talks about how the development of suburbia caused kids in his home in Northwood to turn to drugs and alcohol.
6) Do you agree with the idea that Americans have lost the notion of a community?
Andrew: I do not agree with the idea that all of America has lost the sense of community. In my town, there is a definitely a sense of community, you know everyone in the neighborhood. There are other towns like this. However, in cities there are so many people that it is hard to know everyone. There could, however, still be a sense of a community, it is just much harder to acquire.
Aaron: I would agree that we lost some of our sense of community, but not all of it. Its most notable in the lack of eye contact in the city. There is no human contact and acknowledgement of other humans. In a small town, you can walk down the streets and you know everyone and acknowledge everyone. In moving to a city, we lose the small town feel where everyone knows everyone’s business. In the city, we expand our horizons and build a new sense of community.
Jon: I do not think that Americans as a whole have lost the sense of community because in the Midwest its still pretty strong but out in the east coast I could understand why someone would think that.
