Cities are the most complex, diverse, and novel human construction. I love them.

Gaia Whispers

Gaia Whispers

 

At the most basic level, cities are made of zillions of tiny connections:

the interactions of people conducting their lives in them.

It makes me feel so alive!

Exhilarating!

In Humanity’s New Story, city-zens live better when they connect for change on behalf of the city itself.

Integral Cities will have the greatest contribution to the Great Turning

[i] when they connect to each other,

generating health and wellness for nations, eco-regions, and for me.

 

Cities are where everything connects to everything else,

poli-laterally.

Look all around, then ask:

Who is able, ready and willing

to connect to whom,

living where,

to change from what to what,

in order to generate value

flowing to which stakeholders,

located where?[ii]

Listen carefully; I’ll be whispering the answers.

~~~

This essay is part of a collection of dialogic essays written to celebrate the New Story of the City. We publish them in the week of the first World Cities Day (October 31) having first been inspired by by Kosmos Journal‘s invitation to tell a new story. Our team of Integral City Constellation Voices, Peer Spirits and Essayists includes: Joan Arnott, Alia Aurami, Cherie Beck, Diana Claire Douglas, Marilyn Hamilton, Linda Shore

The Voices in this dialogue are: Spirit of Integral City, Gaia, Integral City, Peer Spirits, Communities of Practice.

Each  voice is introduced by the Stage Directions:

Welcome, Connecting One(s), to this sapient circle. We gather here to constellate Indra’s Net for our Planet of Cities around this question “How does Integral City Connect for Change in Service to a Planet of Cities?” ( first asked by Kosmos Journal).  Welcome to you, Peer Spirits, who long to connect to the City and her Communities of Practice, to Gaia, and to Spirit who energizes us all. Listen …Gaia speaks …

 

Endnotes

[i] Great Turning by Joanna Macy

[ii] Adaptation of Change Equation developed by Dr. Don Beck, co-author, Spiral Dynamics