5. USING OUR LENS

I have described cities as part of a single, global, growing organism comparable to fungi. Even earlier, I discussed life generally and the fact that every organism has a purpose. With that in mind, and knowing what we know about cities, what exactly are they doing? What is the purpose of cities?

To answer this question, it is important to establish a picture of the current state of cities. Before I begin, note that I am not an expert on all focal points of the planet. Awareness is connected to history. I am an American, born and raised in the Northeastern United States, educated in California and Western Australia. My focus is a result of this experience and the cities I discuss are not exclusive in their importance or potential. Furthermore, recall the importance of conscious removal which was discussed earlier. It is been difficult to communicate the following topics without confronting popular judgment values placed upon specific nations, governments, histories and humanity in general. As I discuss cities and focal points, I am focusing on individual cities and systems that are dominant in the same way a biologist focuses on the behavior of an alpha male and his kin. All members of networks and relationships are important, each with its own role, each at a different stage of development. I focus on the dominant entity in order to discuss the direction of economic development and ultimately focus on the Indian Ocean.