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Spring 2001: a.k.a. the “Urban Issue”
Editor’s Note from Spring 2001 issue: Here it is at last. While it has taken longer to produce this issue of you are here than we would have liked, we hope you will agree that it was worth the wait. A year and a half ago, the challenge we posed was this: tell us about urbanism – tell us what it means to be a city, and to be in a city. This is the reply we received. While not all of the pieces enclosed adhere strictly to this urban theme, collectively they present insightful impressions of the urban landscape, and explorations into the relationship between people and the spaces they inhabit and travel through. Our contributors employ tactics as varied as their own stories and backgrounds in accomplishing this task – essay, painting, photography, and poetry. Each individual piece was strong enough to speak out to us from among the many we considered, but together they spin a vivid and compelling tale of the many ways in which we, as humans, relate to our increasingly urbanized surroundings. Josh Stephens and Farhang Rouhani explore the built environment, and how its various permutations set the stage upon which our lives are played out. Michael Kohout goes underground in Mexico City and discovers a world with a geography all its own – one that is constantly on the move. Suspended over water and air, Jennifer Sahn takes in the view of New York City and finds exhiliration, and inspiration. And like Sahn, Robin Doughty helps us find an unlikely source of natural contemplation – at a wastewater treatment plant. Eric Magrane and Stuart Allen explore the themes of movement and space through their abstract words and images, while Lucy Raven and Carol Stetser interpret the transition from three dimensions to two, and the changes that occur in-between. Finally, we include a brief testimonial from renowned environmentalist Donella Meadows, submitted prior to her untimely death this past February. While perhaps this piece is the least urban of the collection, who better to speak to many of our fears regarding the impact our burgeoning population is inflicting on a global scale. But while part of the beauty of a small, independent publication such as this is its organic, grassroots nature, and the freedom of expression this allows, this is also what makes its life and future somewhat precarious. We greatly appreciate the positive response we have received from so many of you over the past few years, and encourage you to continue to send us your support, praise, and inspiration. As current editor, I can only promise that as energy and resources allow, we will continue to provide an outlet for the many manifestations of creative geography. Jennifer
Shepherd
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