Make No Small Plans?

On page 98 in his book, Smith quotes this critical passage from Burnham's landmark 1909 Plan of Chicago: “At no period in its history has the city looked far enough ahead...There can be no responsible fear lest any plans that may be adopted shall prove too broad or comprehensive.” Considering the challenges before Chicago at the time of the plan as well as in the present, are Burnham's claims here justified? How might the city look “far enough ahead” today? What sorts of challenges loom on Chicago's horizons some 100 years after Burnham first laid out his sweeping vision for the city?

Urbanism as a Way of Life

In the 1938 classic article by Louis Wirth that you read for our first class meeting, "Urbanism as a Way of Life," he attempts to define sociologically the essential characteristics of a city and to describe the distinctive "way of life" to which these characteristics give rise. Does Wirth's definition of the city still hold true today? Do you agree with Wirth's characterization of the urban way of life? Can you think of any essential features or problems associated with city living that he leaves out of account or does not emphasize sufficiently?