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A comment on Interchange in Houston is the same size as an entire city center in Italy. Parent comment

Re:Interchange in Houston is the same size as an entire city... by philwelch on Monday August 31, 2020 @03:18PM (#24334985)
Much of that has been largely replaced with electronic media, and what remains is a “once in a while” occasion that people are willing to travel to. These days, much of the time, city-dwellers are the ones who have to travel to suburban venues.

The main reasons for urbanization were always economic and political. Rome was not built for the Coliseum; the Coliseum was built for Rome.

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Re:Interchange in Houston is the same size as an entire city... by jschwartzi on Monday August 31, 2020 @06:23PM (#24336497)
There are still a lot of us who really enjoy theater, opera, concerts, shows, and the like. And those things can only be had in a city.

It's true that local amphitheaters may book a few good live acts every year but that selection pales in comparison to what you can get every weekend in a reasonably-sized city. There are some fun local theater groups in my suburb too. But sometimes I really want to watch something other than Shakespeare.

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Re:Interchange in Houston is the same size as an entire city... by philwelch on Monday August 31, 2020 @06:43PM (#24336615)
That’s true. But since the mid-20th century, most people enjoy music, “dramatic productions” (for lack of a better generic term), and live sports electronically rather than in person.

I know it’s not the same, and I also enjoy live entertainment and the other amenities of cities. I just don’t think these amenities are historically a prime driver for urbanization. People historically move to cities for economic reasons, providing a lucrative and competitive market for entertaining them.

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Re:Interchange in Houston is the same size as an entire city... by mmm_grayons on Monday August 31, 2020 @07:14PM (#24336832)
True, but that's not that common. And few people enjoy them so much as to live in the city for that reason alone.
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