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James Howard Kunstler offers a critique
Mar. 27th, 2012 02:47 pmAnd the point about the state of suburbia right now, is that the suburbs are truly tragic and hopeless. They have a very, very dim destiny. And most of America is not aware of that. But I think there’s a kind of subconscious apprehension that something ain’t right. And I think it’s creating a lot of anxiety in our culture. It’s one of many elements out there in the collective imagination that’s causing a lot of fear and anxiety.
And for example, in just design terms, there’s a reason why up until the 20th century, windows in buildings were mainly vertical.
JBB: For the structural integrity?
JHK: Yeah, it had to do with the tectonic requirements of architecture, of holding a building up. But it also produced some very interesting anthropomorphic effects. By that, I mean, they reflect our human-ness. Vertical windows express something about the human figure being upright, within the building.
JBB: Makes sense —
JHK: And being upright, for a human being, has more decorum than being horizontal — which means you’re either asleep, or having sex, or you’re dead. Now we have buildings that do not express human decorum. And even though it’s hard to articulate, I think that people sense the difference, even if they can’t really articulate.
JBB: What’s going to happen at the end of the “happy motoring” era?
JHK: There’s going to be a lot of disappointed people who will not understand why it came to an end. I think they’re going to express themselves politically and probably in ways that have nothing to do with it, but will be very destructive and damaging.
JBB: Like —
JHK: You know, they’ll elect some maniac who will promise to make things like they were in 2003, and he won’t be able to — or she won’t be able to — and then they’ll face another level of disappointment. But the nation is so hung up on automobile dependency that if you deprive them of that, they’re going to be in a lot of trouble, just logistically. It’s going to be almost impossible to use most of the habitats in America that have been constructed.
JBB: How soon do you see this happening?
JHK: I think we’re going to be in real trouble within five years.
JBB: Five years!
JHK: We’re going to be in trouble. It’s not going to be over.
http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20120325/GREEN01/120323015/Walking-through-Burlington-anti-growth-advocate-James-Howard-Kunstler-offers-critique-?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|FRONTPAGE|p
And for example, in just design terms, there’s a reason why up until the 20th century, windows in buildings were mainly vertical.
JBB: For the structural integrity?
JHK: Yeah, it had to do with the tectonic requirements of architecture, of holding a building up. But it also produced some very interesting anthropomorphic effects. By that, I mean, they reflect our human-ness. Vertical windows express something about the human figure being upright, within the building.
JBB: Makes sense —
JHK: And being upright, for a human being, has more decorum than being horizontal — which means you’re either asleep, or having sex, or you’re dead. Now we have buildings that do not express human decorum. And even though it’s hard to articulate, I think that people sense the difference, even if they can’t really articulate.
JBB: What’s going to happen at the end of the “happy motoring” era?
JHK: There’s going to be a lot of disappointed people who will not understand why it came to an end. I think they’re going to express themselves politically and probably in ways that have nothing to do with it, but will be very destructive and damaging.
JBB: Like —
JHK: You know, they’ll elect some maniac who will promise to make things like they were in 2003, and he won’t be able to — or she won’t be able to — and then they’ll face another level of disappointment. But the nation is so hung up on automobile dependency that if you deprive them of that, they’re going to be in a lot of trouble, just logistically. It’s going to be almost impossible to use most of the habitats in America that have been constructed.
JBB: How soon do you see this happening?
JHK: I think we’re going to be in real trouble within five years.
JBB: Five years!
JHK: We’re going to be in trouble. It’s not going to be over.
http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20120325/GREEN01/120323015/Walking-through-Burlington-anti-growth-advocate-James-Howard-Kunstler-offers-critique-?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|FRONTPAGE|p
