Something Mumford draws attention to is the way organized war is the result of the city rather than something inherent to humanity itself. He notes that as people were drawn in to the promises of cooperation and safety, they gave their protection over to a skilled and powerful leader. This leader was often seen as both spiritual and political leader, with the divine power capable of keeping the community safe from all threats.

I found it particularly interesting the way he roots the origins of this war in the role of human sacrifice. The leader, who had taken the responsibility for the safety and wellbeing of the community, had to have ways to appease the forces of nature they were at the mercy of. Human sacrifice was one way they would do this.

“Beneath all war’s technical improvements lay an irrational belief, still deeply embedded in the collective consciousness: only by wholesale human sacrifice can the community be saved.” (Mumford, 45)

What may have began as small raids to seek out victims, grew to become sizeable numbers in some areas, perhaps representative of the growing collective anxiety the city produced. Mumford's point was that over time, the power of the king became the point: the power to control, subdue, or destroy. Organized war was their invention, used to eliminate threats to their power—real or imagined.

Started reading Lewis Mumford's 'The City in History' this morning as a part of a self-guided reading course I've put together for myself. Something that stood out in today's reading was the role that ritual, particularly related to burial and honouring the dead, played in the formation of permanent settlement. These rituals went beyond just a burial plot to art and other symbolic practices, what he notes as a nod to a way of living that speaks to a more complex need for humans to form societies than merely survival.

It is the same way of life that compels art and performance and other forms of meaning-making ritual in our cities today. From the street artist to the ornate sacred space, these things invite us into a communal life that goes beyond meeting our physical needs to touching on something more transcendent.

"Simple awareness is the seed of responsibility." — Jenny Odell

Walking is one of the best ways to build a relationship with where you live; but it requires paying attention. The more you walk through your community with a sense of attentive awareness, the more you begin to notice. This is an important step for feeling a sense of responsibility towards it. By slowing down and noticing, you begin to see your city from a different angle. And this can make you a better neighbour.

Rather than getting caught up in internet debates or social media's shallow form of social justice, attune yourself to what's going on in your own neighbourhood. Who is it designed for? Who is being excluded? Where are resources going and why? Who benefits from the way things are designed, and who is paying the price for it?

Did you know that our brains miss about 50% of what's happening in our peripheral vision when we're moving in a vehicle? Cars are a terrible way to really get a sense of how a community is designed. To truly get to know where you live, you gotta take a walk.

"If you want storehouses, you have them in the stomachs of the poor."

St Basil on saving your money.

'Walkability' can be a bit of a moving target.

On the one hand, my community ranks near the bottom of Ontario cities walkability scores (13/100). On the other, I've always been okay walking further than what most people would consider convenient. I think anything under 3km is a completely reasonable distance to walk to something. That said, I'm relatively healthy and able bodied. I'm not pushing a stroller and my kids are old enough to ride their own bikes. So my version of walkable is certainly not applicable to everyone.

This is where I find something like Jeff Speck's theory of walkability helpful. Rather than focus on distance, he points to four key conditions: a walk should be useful, safe, comfortable, and interesting. Importantly, these conditions should be able to be felt by everyone, regardless of age, need, or ability. Imagine if cities began with this sort of mandate for planning. Instead of walking being an afterthought or given the bare minimum of attention, let's make it the starting point for how we think about movement in our cities.

After all, it's not only good for our health and wellbeing, it's also directly related to increased property values and attracting and retaining young families.