Why should a city’s architectural structure reflect the community’s culture?

By Cristiano Lima - teacher, theologian and translator

A city with a marvelous architectural structure can reflect its own ambition and aspirations. The city with its buildings, apartments, houses, parks, shopping malls, churches and cathedrals is the representation of a society and its values.

We need to affirm all the time that cities that do not pay attention to their architecture – physically and intellectually – are likely to come as unattractive and incapable of attracting interest and excitement as any of us would be if we showed up for an evening out wearing a sweat suit and a pair of brogues.

In that sense, cities of aspiration are not different from individuals. Cities, too, need to dress for success once appearance and a marvelous architecture can attract tourists and reveal what kind of citizens these cities have. London, New York, Paris and Dublin are examples of cities where tourists, citizens and inhabitants can admire their unique and outstanding architecture. In addition, it is necessary to affirm that a beautiful architectural structure in a city is developed gradually through planning and improvement of education in order to promote culture and knowledge to the citizens. Ideas are the solution when we want to create architectural structures in a city and we have good ideas when we have a decent education system.

Ideas matter and civic planning is about the practical expression of ideas and imagination. Planning in good faith can guarantee that these cities can achieve their full potential as cities of aspiration with their marvelous architectural structures. In conclusion, architectural structures can reflect the community’s culture regardless of the size of it.