Video Fridays: Ghost in the Shell, Urbanism & How Much Can You Change A Place Before It Loses Its Identity?

This one popped up in my feeds and as a big fan of Ghost in the Shell and Urbanism, I had to share this YouTuber’s presentation. Over seven months into my residency in Portland, it’s a safe guess to say that I am a fan of the many amenities available in living in a high density environment versus my previous experiences living in Las Vegas car-centric sprawl. My neighborhood is a mix of tree-lined one-way streets, 100-year-old buildings and newer high-rises trying to get back to pre-COVID occupancy. So, not nearly as dense or frenetic as Hong Kong or the city depicted in Ghost in the Shell.

As someone born and raised in suburbia all of this is a new experience as a resident. I’m a big fan of multi-use buildings, with commercial use of the first couple floors and residential above. In my neighborhood, almost everything is within walking distances (grocery stores, bars and eating establishments and several movie theaters), and for anything that’s going to take me further than a mile away there’s the trains and buses. The point is that this former Southern-California has used my car about once or twice a month over the past half-year (I am seriously thinking about eliminating that expense from my life!). But I’m well aware of expense and effort needed to support a healthy neighborhood and city.

I know it’s not a life for everyone. After a lifetime of enjoying going from place to place in my own private metal box whenever I wanted, I’ve grown tired of the necessity of having to drive everywhere to get anything done. Using transit is still new enough to me that I haven’t relaxed enough to not gawk out the windows when I travel on buses and trains. I’m sure that will change eventually. And as a retired person, I don’t need to be anywhere on a daily basis. I guess my fondness for transit would be different if I had to use it everyday to get to work and back in more crowded bus or train cars. Funny at this stage in life I’ve chosen an urban existence instead of fleeing to suburbia or a rural existence.

I guess the connection to themes in Ghost in the Shell is how much can you change or “upgrade” in a city before it loses its character or sense of self. I’m too new to the area to have a judgment about how ongoing changes may be changing Portland. I’ve come to enjoy exploring my new city one block at a time. What do you think about your area of residence? If you had the choice, what kind of area would you live in? Enjoy. JBB