In the reading, author Carl Abbott mentioned world of science fiction, which idea of imagining urban futures that defy our current understanding of cities.The reading presents with James Blish’s “Cities in Flight” and Stephen Baxter’s “Flood”,which are unique and captivating portrayals of mobile cities, challenging the conventional notion of traditional stationary urban centers.
How do these cities function? What are the gains and losses associated with their mobility?I think these ideas are good that challenge our preconceived notions of urbanity by exploring the possibilities of mobile cities. By examining the dynamics of these moving communities, we are prompted to question the essence of a city and its relationship to its inhabitants: Can it move, adapt, and evolve? These stories challenge us to reconsider our relationship with the built environment and imagine new possibilities for urban life.
I think the ideas raised in this reading are particularly relevant in today’s world, where climate change and resource depletion are forcing us to rethink our approach to urban planning and development. And by the potential of mobile cities, we can have more insights to create more sustainable and resilient urban environments for the future.
We, as individuals from the future, we may find the past’s vision of the future unrealistic or amusing. However, with the advancements in technology, our thinking about the urban future becomes more homogeneous, as mentioned in the essay, leading to a single non redundant system. This limits our imagination and prevents us from considering alternative possibilities for future cities.Therefore we should dare to think of our future urban cities.