The Symbolism And Imagery of Urban Life

To develop a completely objective, value-free view of urban communities and urban life is probably impossible, for people?s attitudes to them are strongly subjective. The modern city is an object of hatred for many people, but it is also a love object to many others. Still others may have more ambivalent, love-hate sentiments toward the city. The modern city may be perceived or valued in extremely wide variety of ways,including the following: a place of novelty and excitement, of fashion and style, of ideas and artifacts, a center of sumptuous consumption, of diversity and delight. As a den of iniquity- a place where vice and crime abound, and political corruption rides high.

As a fountainhead of service- a place where health and wealth, the arts and sciences, the educational and welfare services reach their highest levels. As a center of loneliness—a place where man is depersonalized, anonymous, alone, rootless, afraid, uniquely separated from his fellow men.

While the balance of public opinion tends to swing toward negative views of urban living, such views are not universally shared and a significant minority people are prourban.