City Life

So what is a city? Google it. Go on, its easy. A city is, and I quote, 'a large human settlement'. It's a centre which has drawn and continues to draw people to it, to work, rest and play. Some cities are thriving whilst others are dying for lack of investment, because there is no work or because they are crime ridden. It can be due to wars or neglect, bad planning or poor access.  

My focus is on the Cities of England, and not the rest of the UK. At the time of planning in 2014 I thought there were 50 Cities. There were actually 51. By 2015 there were 56, Chelmsford and numerous others having been added.

As Walk and Talk with Stu implies I shall mainly be walking, although I'm not averse to using other forms of transport, to traverse the cities I visit. I'm interested in seeing what makes a city work, how it ticks and what the key to a healthy population is. Moreover, how that population inhabits and enjoys those urban spaces, is also important to me. 

A Tale of 50 Cities

My original 50 Cities Blog was the start of my journey towards what is now becoming a book. It was inspired by Iain Sinclair's 'Lights Out' or, to give his book its full name, 'Lights out for the territory: 9 Excursions in the secret history of London'.

Reading this book was a life changing event. 

The Vision Thing

Sinclair's vision allows us a new way of seeing the world or rather the World of the City, with its focus on 'Psychogeography.' This is an approach to geography that emphasises 'drifting around urban spaces and unlocking hidden meanings and energies that are largely unheeded by the majority of urban dwellers'.

'Lights Out' helped me to see the potential for urban walks as a way of reclaiming lost or abandoned places. Here one can find beauty in graffiti, locate political and economic fault lines and reimagine the Postmodern City as a place of untapped possibilities, even magic.

It's also cheaper than going to art galleries!

9 Point Walks

Beyond Sinclair's vision, there is a need to articulate my own vision for these planned walks. Not everybody can take days or weeks off to wander around urban spaces, allowing the rhythms and moods of a 21st century city to transport them to Xanadu or Shanghri La or even Jersusalem. Three hours is optimal but if people only have 90 minutes that will have to do.

One could easily go it alone but I would rather walk and talk with others. To this end, I suggest that 9 points of interest be chosen. This can be done before hand or as the city unfolds on the day. As we arrive at each fresh location it would interesting to record thoughts, ideas and impressions as they occur. 

Each city presents new challenges and offers new inspirations. 

My Role

Previously, for me, a trip to a city was a smash and grab affair. I needed to get in, get what I wanted and get out. That has changed in recent times, as has my relationship with urban spaces.

Since 2006, I have worked extensively as a tour guide, taking people through open environments that may be referred to as areas of wilderness. I shared their joy and wonder at being alone in this vastness, amidst beauty, calm and peace.

Cities, I've come to realise, contain their own urban beauty. They have their own wildness and unpredictability which the city dweller understands. To reflect these changes I have had to adapt my role. I am no longer the guide, in the traditional sense of the word, but an interpreter of the path that others are taking me on.  

Survival

As one can see, there are larger forces at work and bigger questions to answer.

I had great pleasure working with Inner City Urban Youth, in Birmingham, on the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme. This further shaped my views, as walking with kids who didn't do walking or the Great Outdoors forced me to see Urban Environments through their eyes.

To them, a city is a zone of dangers and delights, a place of shadows and urban tribalism. Survival in such places is all about knowing where the boundaries are, where to cross and when to run, who to avoid and who to embrace.

And So To The Future

Why do this?

50 Cities is about sampling what the urban environment has to offer. This is done through the eyes of those who live there or who have experienced its changes over time. 

The future, whatever guise it takes, compels us to visit it, experience it, and bring back our own answers. Through walking and talking in these spaces, with different people, we open a dialogue which enriches us and invites the reader to join us on that journey.

An Invitation

The city is awakening. It has dangers and possibilities; ugliness and beauty. An interesting time to explore it?

Go On

Whatever your langauge, wherever you're from. Choose your city.

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