Daily Blog: Measuring a City's Intangibles

In Keith Bellows’ introduction to a special section on “Our Cities” in the March 2009 National Geographic Traveler he writes, “a great city exudes 'cityness,' that intangible something derived from its own unique DNA – what it looks like, where it is, the way it surprises and excites us, what it produces, how it conducts life and engages the rest of the world, and the expression of what its people want from it and give to it. Of course, it’s those people who are the essence of a city’s soul and spirit.”

Over the years there have been many attempts to analyze the components of the urban places where people live. In one sentence Bellows has provided something of an eight-point checklist. Only one of the items is not susceptible to material change – “where it is.”

Other than “location,” all of the other items are subject to change – either positive or negative – over time. These are the items that lend themselves to enhancement, thus making a city more distinctive and appealing. Those who care about their city would likely find some ideas for improvement by asking themselves, “How are we doing?” on these seven items.