NYC IS TOO GOOD TO DRIVERS 538

It's remarkable in towns of the type you allude to - those born before the advent of the auto, where design is of a human scale, that have clearly defined centers, and architecture reflecting local esthetics and ideals, how civilized life can be. One engages the community in myriad ways by simply walking about and conducting one's affairs. Businesses, locally rooted, have more much more of an interest in the health of the town, and their proprietors are more likely to involve themselves in civic affairs and take the responsibilities of commercial citizenship seriously, unlike multinationals with head offices thousands of kilometers away, whose only connection to the outposts of their sprawling empires is a quarterly financial report.

What's ironic is that many I know echo your - our - sentiments. They observe the harmony implicit in communities born prior to the early 20th century, those created by their citizens (the quality is instantly identifiable isn't it!) over today's profit vehicles, mbutt produced and marketed by industry, masquerading as communities. But they are at a loss to explain why it's so.

Sometimes oases are found in the most unlikely of places. My home, the top floor of a house in the core of Toronto, is in a neighbourhood called Riverdale. This neighbourhood was largely established in the late 19th and early 20th century. This is evident as there is a melange of diverse, mixed use structures fronting directly onto the avenues (tiny front lawns if any) serviced by a network of alleys in the rear. (Contrast that with the typical post WWII strips of monotonous single use structures; disposable designs of industrial boxes, isolated behind moats of parking lagoons.)

Originally I thought the name of the district encompbutting my neighbourhood, "Danforth Village", to be absurd - after all Danforth Village was located within in an urban area of over 4 millions! But, over the years, I was struck how apt is the notion of a village when applied to my neighbourhood. The merchants are locally based, within a block there are grocers, churches, squares and small parks, all manner of social amenities (bank, dentist, night clubs, libraries, subway). Everyday and especially summer evenings the street is overflowing with life and colour. The neighbourhood is a community unto itself, just like a village. And all this is within a 10 minute walk from where I sit now - no need for a car.

"The Danforth" is a prime destination for surburbanites out on the town weekends. They migrate from the nether regions to eat in its restaurants, window shop, but, most of all, to stroll the promenade and partake of that colour and vitality and all its attendant liveliness.

But when I occasionally cycle through the suburbs on a Friday or Saturday evening the dearth of liveliness is eerie. Save for the odd straggler the streets are virtually empty; living rooms and backyards form the centers of life; and the public realm is abandoned with everyone retreating to their private spaces.