The Perfect City

Some of the first cities ever built were Rome, Tenochtitlan, Jerusalem, Byzantium, Carthage, and Nineveh. Since those ancient times, people have migrated and as a result settled in other areas of the world. Those people sought to found cities that would last forever and that would be the model for all future cities. Today, there are even computer programs that simulate the evolution of a city and challenge the player to create the perfect city.

To create the perfect city, one must account for the many different aspects of such a large community. The city would be located somewhere in the United States and would occupy 250 square miles. The population would be two million people. The people would be very diverse, since all races, religions, and ethnicities would be represented. The proportion of Jews to Moslems to Christians, for example, would be equal to the national proportion. This would be true in all aspects of cultural background. Everyone would speak the same language, a form of English with influences from Romance and Eastern languages.

The city would be located on an enormous hill in the middle of the plains. At the top of the hill would be the historic district and location of the government offices. The streets would be cobblestone and lined with flowering deciduous trees. This area of the city would be enclosed by a five foot high brick wall all the way around. The rest of the city would have paved roads and buildings no higher than three stories high. The sidewalks would be very wide and would be decorated with trees, flowers, and other shrubs. Sides of buildings would have murals painted on them depicting either the history of the city or everyday life in the city. The city would be located at the fork of a river and therefore be surrounded by water on two of three sides. On the third side, there would be a grand wall with a majestic gate at the center. The main road, lined with merchants and vendors, would be about fifty meters wide with a thin island of grass and trees down the middle.

City life would be good. There would be plenty of entertainment through sports, theater, movies, and musical events. On the waterfront, there would be a magnificent entertainment center to accommodate all these great forms of leisure. In addition, there would be museums and a large wildlife reserve. Transportation would be very efficient as everyone uses mass transportation. Everyone would either walk or take the monorail. The cost for the monorail would be paid through taxes; in this way, passengers would not have to waste time buying a ticket every time they go out. The government would be a democratic-republic form of government and would be backed 100% by the people. The ideal city would be so safe, both internally and externally, that no police or military squad would be needed. Also, there would be none of the following: crime, unemployment, homelessness, slums, dilapidated buildings, dissension, or unhappiness. Finally, as a monument to the founding of such a great city, an eminent obelisk would stand atop the hill and remind the citizens everyday of how fortunate they are to be living in the perfect city.