What is city?

In his book Triumph of the City, urban economist Edward Glaeser defines cities as “the absence of
physical space between people and companies. They are proximity, density, closeness” (Glaeser, 2011, p.
6). Archaeologist [Cowgill (2004), p. 526] observed that, “It is notoriously difficult to agree on a cross-
culturally applicable definition of “the” city, but we cannot do without definitions altogether.…No single
criterion, such as sheer size or use of writing, is adequate.” The urban literature reveals two dominant
approaches to city definition: a sociological/demographic approach and a functional approach.

City may be defined as a relatively large, dense, and permanent settlement of socially heterogeneous
individuals.” This definition clearly fits contemporary cities, and it is favoured by most scholars of
urbanism today. The modern city is “a legal, political, economic, and social unit all rolled into one. It is a
large body of people, possessing some striking social characteristics, massed in a small area, chartered as
a municipal corporation, having its own local government, carrying on various economic enterprises, and
busily engaged in trying to solve the multifarious problems which its own crowded life puts upon it”

Cities today are both the engines of innovation and economic growth, and the settings for concentrated
social problems. As cities around the world expand in size and impact, advances in the scientific
understanding of cities, urbanism, and urbanization take on increasing urgency.

Meaning of city for the different sections and classes of people differ on the basis of their interests. For
some it is the world or area of opportunity for better living and assessing all needs and facility. It is a
dream place for someone and for other it is just like hell and they forced to live there for some or other
reason.

City is a place of multi-facets on one hand it creates new opportunity and on the other it seizes your
personal attitude. Some likes to live in cities due to strong class divide in rural areas but cities are not also
from this it also creates an environment for the residential design and layout in particular, instigate
segregation, dividing society via class, status and financial viability among city dwellers and therefore
change the landscape of the urban living. City life, with its high incidence of injustice, can surely be
improved. Basic services for all should be the goal of city development plans, not just the creation of
physical infrastructure. Metros and bullet trains or thousands of cars demanding more space at the cost
of shelter can’t be the only symbol of progress

Living in a modern metropolis is not exactly a smooth sailing experience as we besotted with the
constant onslaught of various socio-cultural problems such as crime, moral degradation, unhealthy life
styles and lack of community living. The city is relatively a modern problem due to modern industrial
development and process of urbanization.

As the city expend, it gets more confusing, due to the multicity of image and identity of landmarks,
nodes, skylines and building lines that competes with the city’s native genius loci, resulting in common
elements and views to become alien, therefore significantly reducing its ability to be memorable and
remembered.