As part of Bloomberg BusinessWeek's "Fix This" city planning series, the World Bank's Daniel Hoornweg considers how cities can often be a reflection of the cultural and institutional personalities of their citizens.
Cities are the most ambitious achievement of humanity. They evolve to represent what people want and can afford according to Daniel Hoornweg of the World Bank. While certain practical realities help to shape the form of a city, such as the availability of natural resources, he also describes cities as, "a function of the bones of the animal, which tend to be the transportation system."
Mick Cornett, Mayor of Oklahoma City, also discusses how to finance making a better city through taxes and how his city was able to pass sales tax increases with a relatively conservative electorate. Oklahoma City has one of the strongest economies in the country, despite the recession, and in that environment, he says, "you got to make things happen while you can."
Thanks to Anatalio Ubalde
Read the full story: Are Cities a Reflection of Their Citizens?
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