The chief function of the city is to convert power into form, energy into culture, dead matter into the living symbols of art, biological reproduction into social creativity.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Mumford defines the city's main role as transforming raw power and matter into cultural and creative expressions.
- In plain terms
- Cities turn energy and materials into culture and art.
- What can you take from it?
- Cities should transform resources into culture and social creativity.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What makes a city successful?
- How do cities create culture?
Another view
Not all cities successfully fulfill this function.
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