Aseem Inam: What is the relationship between care and the city?
As I write this, we are in the midst of a Covid-19 / coronavirus pandemic. At the time of this writing, there are a staggering 1,309,439 confirmed cases and 72,637 deaths worldwide, with many more projected. Many of these cases are in cities, since 55% of the world's population lives in cities, a percentage that continues to rise.
Some commentators, in a rush to judgement and with a superficial understanding of judgement, have blamed urban density as a major part of the reason the virus is spreading so quickly. At one level, whenever there is a concentration of people, there is bound to be a concentration of illness and crime, but there is also flourishing of a vital exchange of ideas, collective cultural expressions and incredible mobilizations for problem-solving.
Currently in the United Kingdom, where I am presently based, there is an efflorescence of mutual aid societies, in which people come together using social media to help each other [e.g. getting food and medicines for the elderly and the vulnerable]. Also in the United Kingdom, a staggering 700,000 volunteers have committed to helping the over-stretched doctors, nurses and healthcare workers of the National Health Service.
There are many such examples from all over the world, including sacrificing their lives for the well-being of others. There are many studies done about the motivations that drive such altruistic behavior, but I want to get back to the city as a place of care. Cities are truly places of hope, because that is where we learn to deal with difference, with the other, and over time, cultivate a culture of mutual trust and care, without which cities would not thrive.
Caring for the city is caring for each other in deep and meaningful ways. Such type of compassion requires thoughts, feelings, words, actions and ultimately, effort, because it is by being actively intentional that we learn to love each other. AI
The love of public space: Friends and friends of friends enjoying the beautiful weather, the great music and each other’s company at the Butetown Music Festival in Cardiff in the summer of 2019.. Source: Aseem Inam.