Ecocities - Chapter 7

I read chapter 7 in registers Ecocities. In addition, to discussing some of the ideas that came up in this chapter i will compare and contrast some of the concepts to things that i noticed while exploring the downtown Ithaca area and then conclude with my desires for the remaining six classes.

In chapter 7 "what to build" Register covers many ideas surrounding the idea ecocity. Of the chapters read so far i enjoyed this one the most and for the first time i really could visualize a lot of the ideas he presented. Many of the overarching concepts were somewhat redundant from those that he has brought up in past chapters. Although i believe that this was the first and most successful time that he brought all of these concepts together in a very cohesive and integrated manner. I really felt as though he was making a city with his ideas instead of somewhat randomly throwing them out to the reader.

The first idea that he really emphasizes is that "you can't build a house starting with the roof....it can't be done randomly". This is one idea that he and other previous authors have presented many times, but for the first time Register really demonstrates the importance of this. In terms of a comparison with Ithaca i believe that the current state of Ithaca was not thought of in the holistic foundation first manner. It definitely does not display the continuity and thoughtfulness towards sustainable practice and the residents best interest that Register would like. I do believe that the people of Ithaca are attempting to rectify this by thinking in a much more holistic way in terms of the future of Ithaca. This includes taking a lot of time to think about land use and the implications that every decision will have. Such as the new developments behind the wal-mart or the future of city transportation.

The next important concept explored by Register were his principles of the ecocity. I really enjoyed his principle but the one that i enjoyed the most was to "build soils and enhance biodiversity. I personally really enjoyed this concept for the obvious yet difficult reason that diversity is one of the keys to sustainability, too much of anything will never be a good thing. In Ithaca i believe that they are trying very hard to have biodiversity. They are attempting to appeal to the masses through big box stores while still maintaining much of the small town charm that the commons bring. They also work very hard, as they should, to maintain much of the outside resources available to the area.

Definitely the most enjoyable part of this chapter form me was the bike tour, although a bit silly at times i literally felt as though i was on the tour with him. Many of the pictures that he painted through his descriptions seemed so peaceful and happy i really wanted to be in this fictional place at many times. Some of the elements that i enjoyed the most were the public spaces on roofs, and the high rise environment. He almost made it seem like in an ecocity everybody would always be happy and everyday would be a sunny and happy good time. One problem that i did have was that i think he gets a bit too caught up in some of the ideas and overlooks many of the practical sides of a city. Such as his solutions for the police and the ambulances just seemed laughable and ridiculous to me i think that many of the physical ideas were great but much of the systematic elements need much more thought.

Finally i must end with a question that has been bothering me for some time. In many of our readings and especially in those of Register the ideas for the ecocity seem to be geared towards the small to mid-sized city, like Ithaca, but i must ask what do these eco-theorists think we should do about the megacities? Is there any hope for new york city to become more sustainable or is it too late has it been completely lost? This kept appearing in my mind and i would really like to explore more sustainable practice in both governmental approach and actual implementation in the large city. We have talked a bit about the community garden but other than that and public transportation i see very little towards an ideal ecocity.