Urban life has a long history. If cities began with the shift to settled communities, the idea of urbanity as a way of life and culture is at least 10,000 years old. Early cities such as Jericho, Çatalhöyük and Uruk also brought the first concepts of public space and political life.
The connection between cities and politics is fundamental, the article argues. Aristotle judged the ideal city square by how far a human voice could carry, reflecting the relationship between the public gathering place and the political community.
Today, luxury shops boarded up amid protests have made particleboard a conspicuous feature of city centres. The sight is bleak, but the protests are also making urban spaces political places again.
Sources: Süddeutsche Zeitung.