Perception

A city would typically be defined as “ a relatively large and permanent settlement”, but this definition doesn’t come even an inch close to what a City really is. Today, a city is a lot more than a specific geographical space, but is built around the informal relationships and interactions of the people within it. This is exactly what you first notice when you go through the article “The Mythic City” by GyanPrakash and the introductory chapter to “The City at its limits” by DaniellaGandalfo.

The two articles are situated in two major cities in India and Peru, both having similar issues of chaos and conflict. Despite these articles being situated in opposite sides of the world, there are some imperative similarities between the two. Firstly, both articles primary focus on the term “Transgression”.  Offensive and unusual behavior that goes against the norms of the society seem to thrive in these two cities which has built curiosity and attraction towards them in different classes of people, including the writers. Both writers have used an outsider’s perspective to be able to portray the city in a finer manner.

Secondly, both articles have indicated the role of media in impacting the public’s perspective of the city. GyanPrakash describes how various magazines and movies have influenced the perspective of outsiders. Similarly, a newspaper article of the protests in Lima leaves a lasting impact on the writer. Lastly, we see that there has been an attempt to renew the old state of the city, such as the Shiv Sena in Mumbai and Alberto Andrade in Lima.

Cities may consist of architecture, transportation, climate, etc but what forms the heart of a city is the people and their behavior. Through these articles, we see that cities are built according to people’s perceptions. According to my perception, Shivajinagar islike a mini city bursting with different cultures, trade, religions and migrants all working together to form this enormous community.

-Ritika Srikumar.