Space within the city and space within rural areas are virtually contrastin in all possible ways. However, the country and the city and its suberbs have an intertwining relationship with each other.
The city is commonly defined as confined, compacted, and crowded. Those three words are a pretty good desription. Large and congesting buildings, busy walkways, especially in the epicenter areas, and much noise and activity all add to the city atmosphere. “Space”, so to speak is often rare and precious in cities like Tokyo and New York. There are however cities like Detroit, where the post-industrial, enonomic turmoil setting leaves much space available in the form of abandoned and burned out buildings and forgotten and negleted areas of the city. So although space in a city can be for the most part generalized, it varies from city to city.
The country is, of course, the polar opposite. Sparce buildings, much open land, homes distances apart pretty much describe any rural setting. Very few corportion if any occupy rural areas and farming is the typical, and most obvious, career. Space here is plentiful; save for government interference.
The Suburbs. Perhaps the most difficult area to completley define. Not quite the city, but not quite the country. A suburb is generally defined as any area directly outside the city limits, where the residents and businesses still relate and comute to their respective city for variious reasons. Suburbs are usually wealthier than their city. It is meant to have the qualities of the city and be in an area directly near while at the same time having the peaceful qualities of the country life. However, yet again Detroit has shown the complete opposite with its suburb Warren which is depressed in a similar manner as its mother city. Space here is harder to grasp and is not always concrete due to the fact that as stated before, not all suburbs fit the general desription. Some can have as little space as the city, while some can be very spacious. The highways connecting suburbs and cities also show a sort of correleation as to how a city and suburb relate; although a highway will not generally change its “size” so to speak.
T. Whitmore
Well, technically this is a late post, TW. But I’ll let it slide because its intelligent and makes a lot of good points.
You have a good point there, cities are more packed and close together than the country is.
William Turbett
I like the points you bring up about Detroit being different than the normal idea of a city. Also the fact the you talk about it being a post-industrial city provided a great explanation for the open areas.
Troy Kosal
Urban Sprawl has a lot to do with the empty Detroit and the reason people choose houses far apart with lots of land. I think if everyone moved back into the city, the space would be shifted and the suburbs/ country would be abandoned. Its never equal is it?
Marsha K.