Stone, Steel, and Light: Reading the Cities We Build

Li Ming is an architecture student who loves cities. He believes that buildings are the best teachers in the world, for every bridge, square, and street carries the story of its town. On his desk he keeps a large atlas, and he has already traced the maps of many famous cities. Urbanization is a global trend, and he wants to understand how urban life grows and changes. Cities such as Atlanta, Cincinnati, and Miami in America, and Frankfurt and Manchester in Europe, each tell him a different story.

His love of buildings began at his grandfather's old house. He was a child then, and he often stayed there in a quiet suburb of a small inland town. The house had a wooden stairway and a narrow stairwell. He held the handrail tightly as he went up and down. A short flight of stairs led to the upper floor, and from the balcony upstairs he could see the whole road below. Downstairs, his grandfather liked to play chess near the bright window. That old house witnessed the birth of his love for buildings.

One summer, his family visited a medieval castle beside a river. The castle had a high stone wall and a drawbridge that could open and close over the water. Inside, there was an ornate hall with plaster decoration on the ceiling and walls. The guide said a king once lived there, and that the palace was a real landmark of the region. A bow window looked out over the courtyard, and beads of rain shone on the old glass. At night, no one dared to enter the old tower alone.

Today Li Ming stands in the middle of a modern city. A massive skyscraper looms over the street, and at night its glass walls are illuminated like a giant screen of light. It is part of a big complex that also holds shops, offices, and a small museum. The construction of such a building is always difficult work. Engineers use an ultrasonic device to test the concrete, and every floor must be strong enough to carry a heavy load. The top tier of the tower holds a restaurant with a relaxing view of the whole city.

To cross the city, Li Ming takes the subway, which runs underground through long tunnels. At the terminal, many people wait for the next train. Above ground, a new bridge spans the river, and its wide deck carries six lanes of traffic. The municipal government built the bridge to ease the flow of cars. The roads in this busy part of the city were chronically heavy with traffic.

Near the old town there is a privately-held estate with a beautiful garden. Around it, several streets meet at a circus, a round open space where people like to gather. In the main square, old men play chess, and children run and laugh. A fountain in the shape of a cube stands at the center, and every visitor stops to take a photo. The city planners believe the public spaces are the bedrock of a happy town.

Not every building is safe. Li Ming reads about an old apartment block that suffered from urban blight. One wall began to collapse, and a loud alarm sounded as the residents ran out. The breakdown of the old pipes caused great discomfort for everyone. A desperate family climbed down a flimsy wooden ladder, but luckily nobody was hurt. The city acted quickly and removed every obstacle before a fatal accident could happen. The frightened residents returned to their respective homes the next morning.

The city then held a public meeting about the dangerous buildings. Some people argued for a complete ban on old high-rise blocks, but others said that was a one-sided argument. The debate became increasingly controversial, and frankly, tempers rose in the hall. In the end, the council decided not to sue the builders, but it did revoke their old permits. It promised a reform of the housing rules and the provision of new, safe homes for every family.

A strong work ethic guides the new planning office. It is a public entity that must make allocative decisions with limited money. The planners ask for the participation of the residents, who are receptive to new ideas. Many people applaud the non-violent way the whole problem was solved. The council also approved the new budget and the plans thereto. Li Ming thinks this shows the best side of city life, and that anybody could learn from it.

Li Ming has a pen-friend in Germany who also studies buildings. They send letters to each other, and he checks the mailbox in front of his flat every morning. Last week he typed a long memo on his keyboard and sent it over the telephone line. Then he looked at the message on his computer screen. His friend sent back pictures taken by a satellite, showing the roofs of Frankfurt from far above.

The next day the weather changed. A storm came, and lightning flashed over the city. The temperature fell to ten degrees centigrade. Li Ming put on a waterproof coat and watched the rain through the window. He saw a weather vane shaped like an arrow turn in the wind on a roof. He also heard the rain drum on the metal deck of a nearby walkway. The following morning, the streets below were in chaos, full of fallen branches.

When the rain stopped, he went to a small restaurant near the harbor. He ate hot dumplings with a spoon and drank a bowl of warm soup. A woman in a long skirt sat nearby, and a man in a leather jacket wiped his face with a handkerchief. On a shelf there were bars of soap, and on the counter a small lamp with a bright bulb shone warmly through the window.

In the afternoon he visited a museum shaped like a glass cube. Inside, there were delicate models of old buildings, each one a small but authentic copy of the original. The decoration on the models was ornate, and a sign explained the basic idea behind each design. Li Ming's comprehension of building styles improved greatly that day, and he could clearly distinguish one style from another. Old and new styles stood along the same street, alike in that each was beautiful in its own way.

On a later trip to a port city like Miami, he saw an amphibious bus that could travel on both land and water. A large carrier ship was anchored in the harbor, its heavy anchor black against the blue sea. Near the docks, the old market was a hive of activity, full of voices and movement. At night, when the streets were empty, a rat ran across the road. Li Ming laughed; he found the moment humorous. Before the trip ended, he joined a short camping trip in a park beside the sea.

Back in the city, the elevator in his hotel was old and unreliable. He pressed the button, but the old machine would not move, so he felt a moment of frustration. It broke down repeatedly, so he used the stairs instead. The narrow stairwell seemed to constrict around him, and the steep steps caused some discomfort. He climbed with difficulty, but he did not mind. The thick walls helped to mute the noise of the busy street outside, and he slept well.

At school, his teacher asked the students to design a small building. The instructions were not ambiguous, but a few details were still vague. She said the plan should not exceed a certain height, and the students were expected to eliminate any unsafe idea. She told them to assign each task appropriately, never to give in to the avoidance of hard work, and never to run from a challenge. She said a good designer does not predetermine the answer before studying the site carefully.

Her words motivated Li Ming. With her encouragement, he worked hard to qualify for the city design prize. He knew that drawing was not his forte, but he wanted to broaden his skills and learn more. Each week his work showed a clear improvement, and the final result surprised even his teacher. There was no doubt that he had grown.

For his project, Li Ming interviewed an old architect. The interviewee had a rich background in city planning. He said the most significant issue in a growing city is the gap between rich and poor areas. He believed a good building should symbolize hope and be worthy of a second look. It must possess both beauty and strength, and it should be attractive to the eye as well as safe. He also warned that an intangible thing, like trust, can matter more than steel and stone.

The architect explained that the demand for city homes had surged in recent years. Apartments near good schools were sought-after, and their prices rose at a phenomenal rate. He saw a rosy future for the city, but only if its leaders made strategic choices. He called the new metro line a booster for the whole area, and he expected this positive trend to continue. He also noted that wise planning could have a lasting effect on people's lives. This was indicative of the city's strong growth.

The city promised to commit more money to safe housing. Builders must use materials conforming to the national code. Insurance coverage for old buildings was also improved, and corrective action was taken wherever a rule was broken. The officials issued a memo to every entity involved in the project. In an extreme case, a weak building would simply be rebuilt. Nearby, a new ovarian health clinic opened its doors, serving women from across the city.

One morning, Li Ming walked to the top of the tallest hill in the city. From there, the whole city unfolded before his eyes: the towers, the old walls, and the river between them. He could guess the age of each building, though sometimes he guessed mistakenly. He waited nervously for the sun to rise, and then he saw it shine on a thousand roofs. The final light made even the primitive stone huts on the hill look golden. He answered his own question that day: the city would always be his home. He wanted to prolong his stay there, and he was glad to call it his friend. He would come back, whether for work or for rest.