I love the Italian Piazza. You find them in every town, big or small. Rome is full of them. They are gentle and filled with human sounds, blended voic...
Our towns and cities do not function in isolation. They do not exist in a vacuum. Municipalities can learn from one another's experiences. More importantly, citizens can too.
I belong in the city: sidewalks to keep my shoes clean, garbage receptacles every few steps, women spraying me with concoctions on Bloor Street -- the city needs me. Algonquin Park does not need me, in fact I feel like it'd rather I not be over. But I discovered my patriotism not in fireworks or beaver tails, but in a paddle. Out in the water with trees all around me, watching my paddle slice in and out of the water, I got why people do this.
Most city folk (present company included) wouldn't trade living in the downtown core for anything, but the stress of living in the city is indeed top ...
