Urman Spaces
Certain cities, regardless of how caotic they may be, have spaces within their dishevelment to afford their humans an escape to tranquility. Often, these spaces are to be found in between buildings, or in spaces “donated” by a development to the public good. Most civilized indeed.
In larger cities these spaces become a necessity. London has its hundreds of parks and squares. NYC does too, in its fantastic Central Park and its several mini-plazas all over town (especially in Midtown, where the developments, generally more modern than elsewhere in the city, have provided such spaces). There is one public space that is unique in that it has an original segment (of some 5m/16ft in length) of the Berlin Wall, complete with original graffiti, which at the very least represents a conversation piece for its visitors.
Most of Latin America is notoriously lacking in these spaces. Inorganic and disorganized growth of the vast majority of its cities have not allowed their appearance. Those that have appeared under the auspices of local governments have become emporia for informal ambulatory commerce, displays neo-folklore performance, petty crime and other undesirables.
Where they can be found, they are few and far between, and underutilized by a population that does not fully understand them, and does not feel at ease in them. With a few notable exceptions (Buenos Aires comes to mind), the lack of culture and/or civility converts them in places that are, at best, unattractive for spending a lazy afternoon.
Just a matter of time, one would hope.
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