An Unfortunate Effect of the End of Urbanism

I have always been a firm believer in self-sustainability. I don’t mind paying a little bit more to support a mom-and-pop shop that has maintained itself for years. I understand the importance of buying local goods, reducing the polluting effects of mass transportation overseas and keeping money in the regional economy. Without clear and distinct lines between the wealthy and less affluent, a sense of community grows because people work together and rely on one another for their survival. In Douglas Rae’s City, Joseph Perfetto contributes his office supply store to the community where demand is high enough for him to make a profit. He has worked in his store for seven decades, living a modest yet stable life selling “transparent tape and typewriter ribbons.” The city around him appears to have stayed the same, yet Perfetto has recently struggled due to the end of the era of urbanism. The city has disappeared little by little, its superficial similarities falsely alluding to a preserved community, yet the people and close relationships no longer exist.
Globalization and the end of urbanism have brought about much success in America, yet their consequences have torn apart communities and made the country reliant on others for its survival. Increased productivity and cheaper imports have increased the buying capacity of American citizens, but shops like Perfetto’s that bring towns and people together to support one another have vanished. Walmart’s cheaper prices draw in customers, and shops that sustained themselves on simple products are unable to manage. Henceforth, the sense of community is many towns has dissolved from the mass movement of economic focus beyond the city limits.
Portland, I believe, has stood up to this threat. I can still go to Jim and Patty’s Coffeehouse (a one-store franchise) and share a conversation with the owners while devouring their famous coffeecake. To Jim and Patty, the focus of their business is not to bring in more money, but to bring neighbors together to share a social drink. Thankfully, some community still exists.