Our lives are strongly influenced by the places we live in, whether villages, neighbourhood or cities, urban or rural territories. First of all they are marked by the climate, a village in the mountain won’t look like a town on the seaside, their spirit will be very different; so according to their geography, places of living won’t look the same and won’t offer the same advantages. Their size may differ greatly and it is related to the population of a geographical point.
They also reflect our cultures and the inhabitants are responsible for their specificity, traditional villages in touristic areas for example speak about a typical culture. Some areas in big cities are the home to some communities that recreate some elements from their original towns, for instance Chinatown in London, Little Italy in New York. Inhabitants need to feel at home after moving to another place, that’s why some neighbourhood are thus so typical and charged with a strong sense of belonging and nostalgia.
Big cities around the world are more and more cosmopolitan and it may become difficult for migrants to feel at home in a place where so many nationalities are represented. Sometimes the easiest way to integrate is to adopt a new way of life which is not always easily accepted.
Religion may appear as a barrier between people, for instance in Dearborn, Michigan; the muslim population is stigmatised because of their religious belief. The largest mosque in the USA was built there and since then many inhabitants have been involved in conflicts about fear and ideology. The main disagreement is about their American identity; all of them feel American yet tolerance towards religion seems to be difficult if not impossible.
A lot of big cities have to face their growing population’s needs and the necessity to adapt to climate crisis that’s why urbanisation policies have evolved so much lately, the quality of life has become a priority and in order to improve it, it has been essential to rethink the development of transports in cities following an economic strategy. If the streets were for cars in the past, it is now outdated. In New York City for example, mobility must be considered in a different way and urbanisation policies need to bring some balance between the use of cars, cycles, buses and the subway. The goal is to make a greener city while educating people and allowing safety to raise a family in town.
