It's a good reminder that, as Europeans, we shouldn't only look at American cities and pat ourselves on the back for the 'liveability' of our cities, but also at other examples like Japan that do many things better than us. Then again, we should also make a distinctions between larger cities (Brussels, Antwerp, Paris) and mid-sized cities (Ghent, Bologna) - the latter often striking a better balance.
This piece makes some solid points. Those of us living in the Western bubble rarely realise that while things may be different elsewhere, and the norms unfamiliar, that doesn’t automatically make them worse than our own. Too often, we live under the illusion that here in the West, we’ve somehow figured out life’s big questions better than everyone else. In some areas, we have. But we should also be willing to admit that in certain respects, other parts of the world are ahead of us – and in genuinely positive ways.
It's a good reminder that, as Europeans, we shouldn't only look at American cities and pat ourselves on the back for the 'liveability' of our cities, but also at other examples like Japan that do many things better than us. Then again, we should also make a distinctions between larger cities (Brussels, Antwerp, Paris) and mid-sized cities (Ghent, Bologna) - the latter often striking a better balance.
This piece makes some solid points. Those of us living in the Western bubble rarely realise that while things may be different elsewhere, and the norms unfamiliar, that doesn’t automatically make them worse than our own. Too often, we live under the illusion that here in the West, we’ve somehow figured out life’s big questions better than everyone else. In some areas, we have. But we should also be willing to admit that in certain respects, other parts of the world are ahead of us – and in genuinely positive ways.