BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (HONOURS) IN ARCHITECTURE

THEORIES OF ARCHITECTURE AND URBANISM (ARC61303

SYNOPSIS: REACTION PAPER (August 2017)

Name: Syed Aswad Al Jaffree ID No.: 0318625

Lecturer: Mr. Prince Favis Isip Tutorial Time:
Reader/Text Title: Urbanism As A Way Of Life Synopsis No: 4
Author: Louis Wirth
Wirth defined urbanization focusing on the density and diverse nature of the people that reside in cities,
describing it as a “relatively large, dense and permanent settlement of socially heterogeneous individuals.”
The ability of the urbanite to adapt to the diverse nature of the city makes them very tolerant. The influence
the city has on the urbanites that gives them their tolerant nature makes them assimilate better when
interacting with people of other cultures, whereas a person from a rural area who had only lived with similar
groups of people their entire life is likely to be less comfortable interacting with people other than their own.
However, although urbanites are more comfortable interacting with various types of people, social
conditions of the city cause them to behave in such a way that they are less friendly. Interactions that occur
between most urbanites inclines towards fulfillment of selfish needs rather than an effort to build friendship,
whereas in the case of a person from a rural setting it may be to satisfy the desire to build relationships.
Wirth argues that as the urban man diversifies, his perception inclines toward visual recognition and
materialistic wealth; recognizing uniforms instead of people, while in the rural areas getting to know one
another is much simpler and more genuine. As in the city, people are less concerned about the notion of
family or settling down; they are more individualistic and career-driven, making city life relatively more
intense. We can also infer from the essay that our individual lives can influence the growth of the city. As
individuals we influence the growth of the city by contributing to the main factors that define urbanism. In
reference by Wirth to heterogeneity, the city is occupied by various ethnic groups, enhancing the diverse
nature of urbanism. Individual actions can also affect the growth of the urban area by maintaining its
population, since the concentration is one of the significant factors that distinguish the city from rural
communities. It can be observed that Wirth unconsciously made a comparison of how city population was
maintained previously, and currently in the modern world. It seems that the concentration of the population
of the city was maintained by a high birth rate and a high death rate due to unsanitary environment.
Whereas in the modern world, where hygienic practice is better, there is a low death rate and birth-rate, due
to child-birth control. Conclusively, it can be argued that our actions as individuals affect the city just as
much as the city influences our behaviors.

Word Count: 423 Mark Grade

Assessed by: Date Page No. 194 - 201