Convergence

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Cities, like nature, abhor a vacuum. Empty spaces must, like scars, be filled... healed. There is an urban imperative toward convergence.

See here along a tiny ancient street just beyond the Farmer's Market? There was a courtyard here. An open space which, while gated, was open to the view of passers by. And the owners had historically gardened it creating a touch of serenity. But now that scab of grey indicates that the city is filling it in, much the way our body's fill in any puncture or gash. And soon it will be another structure built to the street to house an extension to our quilt museum.

Now this county has nourished the world's finest quilters. And stunning examples of their work have been gathered in this collection. So I feel almost uncivil is sighing over the way need for exhibition space has caused the facades here to converge. There always seems some good reason, if there weren't capital would not flow in the direction of neatly converging buildings across open space.

In cities, open space rarely has a constituency. Convergence is not a destination, it is a process. It doesn't promise us a final equilibrium, just a result. That's probably a good thing in a living city as it continues to prosper. I like prosperity... but... but... it's a pity we can't find a way to make some open space spin off a return sufficient to wall out convergence.

Anybody got a plan?

GEEK STUFF: Canon EOS 20D, Canon EFS 17-85mm (f4-5.6),1/200 @ f/11 exposure Bias value: -1, ISO: 400, Focal Length: 47 mm, Date/time: 7/31/07-6:41 pm, Metering Mode: Average, Camera RAW