Cities and Shadows

This past Saturday hundreds if not thousands of Philadelphians left their houses wearing gloves. Some were leather, some a thick cotton with protective padding, some just disposable. Even my sister, who is not from Philadelphia, wore gloves. Normally, it would have to be winter in the Windy City before she even gave it a thought. Today was different. It was spring cleaning. A time where the city shines itself to a scuffed, but still admirable polish. It and the few days following it are probably some of the prettiest days, because we made it happen.

One idea that I have been wrestling with is beautification and how we pursue it. When capital projects are brought to fruition they are attached to some designer that typically gets a large sum. I am thinking Zaha Hadid, Vera Wang, or Virgil Abloh. Don't get me wrong - it doesn't bother me that creative people get paid. My problem is actually the opposite. I think there are too many people that wouldn't throw money at something that would benefit them even when it's done at cost (the very minimum price). Rather than seeking improvement, we never reach the threshold for action even when it's in our interest.

The hesitancy to embrace meaningful action or investment often are the expansive shadow on our small acts of collaboration. They are what a person can dream of or what they actually might see, but what is not there. Thankfully, it seems that cities are going to become hubs of innovation at scale. Our shadows will become larger as will our ambition.

-Austin Church