Population density, when done right, is a great tool to make people happier, give them more opportunities (social, economic, cultural, etc) and reduce their environmental footprint. A big part of it is that you can reduce the amount of pollution caused by transportation and housing, the two biggest resource sinks, with walkable neighborhoods and mass transit, as well as smaller dwellings (but the city becomes your living room and playground, so the actual "living area" can be much larger than for those living in some exurb in a McMansion...).
Design makes all the difference. Central Park is designed such that tens of thousands of people can be in it at once, but you never see more than a score. Nanjing Road in Shanghai is, however, Blade Runner. Or are there only two kinds, Country Mouse and City Mouse?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 10 2015, @06:15AM
Under or over 40?
(Score: 2) by zocalo on Friday July 10 2015, @06:32AM
I can get why city life might be appealing to someone young enough to be interested in going out every night clubbing or whatever, but there usually comes a point where you realise that all the pollution, noise, vastly higher crime rates, and lack of truly open spaces just isn't worth it. Then again, I've felt this way since my mid-20s, was raised on the boundary of the suburbs and open countryside, then moved out into the countryside proper first chance I got and have never looked back, so perhaps someone raised in an inner city might feel differently about it?
UNIX? They're not even circumcised! Savages!
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Ethanol-fueled on Friday July 10 2015, @06:41AM
Some people grow up in the big city, they really don't have a choice in the matter. Other people land their dream-job they can't refuse in the big-city.
But the kind of people who choose to live in the big city for the sake of living in the big city are the kind of people who can't stand to listen to themselves think.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 10 2015, @07:49AM
I disagree. Indeed, in the big city where people are more anonymous, it's actually easier to just listen to your thoughts. Nobody will complain that you didn't greet him because you didn't notice him because you were in your thoughts, because the people passing by don't know you anyway. Nobody will interrupt your stream of thoughts for some small talk. If you want to see or talk to people you know, you explicitly arrange for it.
(Score: 2) by tibman on Friday July 10 2015, @03:09PM
Those people look like zombies. Shuffling about with little awareness of what's going on right next to them.
SN won't survive on lurkers alone. Write comments.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 10 2015, @03:56PM
Those people don't need your seal of approval on their personal lifestyle.
(Score: 2) by tibman on Friday July 10 2015, @07:01PM
Good for them : )
SN won't survive on lurkers alone. Write comments.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Friday July 10 2015, @04:08PM
Nobody will interrupt your stream of thoughts for some small talk.
They will interrupt you in many other ways. And there are many more people to do the interrupting.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 10 2015, @04:19PM
How is any of that different from the subub or rural lifestyle? You have room to do whatever you want. Your "thinking time" does not ever need to overlap with being around other people, unlike in the city where being alone is a premium. Doubly so considering with such space between individuals, if you want to see or talk to someone, you have to arrange for it and drive a number of miles first.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Phoenix666 on Friday July 10 2015, @01:36PM
I find that people in the city have a remarkable ability to live inside their own bubble. Having not grown up in the city I often find the degree to which they can do that dismaying. It often expresses itself through tribalism. People from one group have no regard for people from every other group. They often adopt a victim mentality wherein every other group is "out to get them." So their own misbehavior escalates to "get back at them." It can be a challenge to keep your equanimity when encountering such people.
But, no, living in a city is no barrier to listen to yourself think.
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 2) by DeathMonkey on Friday July 10 2015, @06:39PM
But the kind of people who choose to live in the big city for the sake of living in the big city are the kind of people who can't stand to listen to themselves think.
In other words: You don't like what I like, therefore you are dumb.
(Score: 1) by Ethanol-fueled on Friday July 10 2015, @07:42PM
My opinion is not absolute, but a judgement of those I know personally without big-city backgrounds who later pursued big-city life. I never said anybody was dumb, on the contrary, city-life is generally fast-paced and requires a greater degree of situational awareness while allowing for plenty of opportunities for those who can handle it well.
You are the one who is dumb, kind sir.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 10 2015, @01:23PM
If you're a homebody then the city offers even less. So what if there's 6 bars within a block of me if I'd rather sit at home and watch Netflix with a beer in hand, plus that single bottle would have cost more at the bar than the entire case in my kitchen that I bought from the store?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 10 2015, @02:19PM
And the fact that you had not to drive several miles to get to that store means nothing to you?
(Score: 1) by khallow on Friday July 10 2015, @04:19PM
And the fact that you had not to drive several miles to get to that store means nothing to you?
Driving several miles can be less troublesome and safer than walking one block.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 10 2015, @04:51PM
Who said I live in a rural area? I got 3 groceries stores less than 2 miles away and a convenience store within walking distance. Also that beer was picked up when the grocery shopping was done on the way home from work. And after the movie maybe I'll head out to my yard and relax by the firepit.
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Friday July 10 2015, @01:30PM
In the city there are a lot of services for the elderly. Meals on Wheels, Senior Centers, etc. Lots of museums and cultural events, many of them free. Everything you need is within a block or two, so no need to drive.
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by M. Baranczak on Friday July 10 2015, @01:55PM