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Greening the CityChapter VII, "Parks, Parkways, and Park Systems" pp. 126 - 146We have made references to the changing scale of the 19th century before. Urban reformers soon recognized that one large central urban park could not achieve all the expectations of civic betterment placed upon it. If the urban park allowed its users to forget city life temporarily by screening it from view, it was obviously equally true that the buildings immediately around the park screened it from the view (and from the consciousness) of people beyond the periphery. How could the aesthetic of the park be extended to the whole city? Some of the solutions will be presented in this chapter. Be especially aware of the idea of the parkway. This adaptation of the french boulevard becomes ubiquitous in American cities. In fact, the average urban residential streetscape as developed in most American cities prior to 1960 is an adaptation of the parkway. See if you can identify the evidence for this. Suburbs: Problems and OpportunitiesChapter VIII, "Urban Decentralization and the Domestic Landscape" pp. 149-166Chapter IX. "The New City: A House with Many Rooms" pp. 167 - 179Many of the concepts in this chapter should already be familiar to you, either through the chapter on the evolution of the Suburb in Girouard, or through the video, Suburbs: Arcadias for Everyone. What is new here is the opportunity to compare suburban developments which were purely real estate speculations (Iirvington, NY), and those which responded to both economic considerations and ideological ones. (Llewelyn Park, Riverside). It is important to recognize that suburbs of the latter sort were created by people who loved cities, or at least certain aspects of them.Actions have unanticipated consequences. Chapter IX will demonstrate that at least some of the problems of the 20th century city may have been created by the reforms which redesigned the 19th century American city. Decentralization and suburbanization created spatial difference between social classes on top of the widening economic differences. We'll want to explore this today. Urban Voices in 19th Century AmericaOur City Charities (Margaret Fuller) pp. 111-118The Eating Houses (George G. Foster) pp. 119-126Personals (Mark Twain) pp. 257 - 260I chose to put these three essays together because they demonstrate both how early the patterns of urban life developed, and how enduring they are. Margaret Fuller directs our attention to the plight of the urban underclass through the attempts of charitable organizations to cope with it. (We'll return to this theme often).George G. Foster shows us that the impulses which lead to the creation of McDonalds, Burger King, Pizza Hut, and all the other fast food havens which dot our streets and highways. Be aware of the astonishing volume of meals these places served, and see if you can decipher the menu items.The presence of the personals columns in newspapers "then and now" is a clue to another element of Urban life: anonymity and loneliness. Certainly, among the hordes of city dwellers are compatible people. But how does one find the needle in the haystack? When you read this piece by Mark Twain have with you a copy of the Providence Phoenix, which you can get free in the Student Center. Look at the personals there, and see what has, and what has not changed in 140 years or so.It is time for you to begin thinking about a course project. I'm developing some possible ideas to share with you, and I'll distribute a sheet either Monday or Wednesday of next week. The general objective is to explore some aspect of American life which is uniquely urban. This is broad enough to give plenty of leeway for everyone, I think.