It was very nice of House Professor Blalock to guide this discussion on urban planning. I never really knew too much about urban planning prior to this table talk. I remember that he asked us ideal places that we would want to live. I responded, “California, because there are large distances between most people and their neighborhoods and of course the sunny weather”. Another scholar responded, “New York”.  Dr. Blalock then explained to us that New York from an urban planning standpoint would be a better place to live because since everything is relatively close to each other in terms such stores, schools, and other buildings which is convenient. In California, because there is so much space there is not the sense of convenience compared to New York. In California, people are encouraged to drive everywhere which is not good for the environment and people’s personal and physical well-beings. Due to the convenience in New York, people can walk places which is better for personal and physical well-being.

He also told us a little about the history of Ithaca. In terms of urban planning, the city of Ithaca was built where a body of water was. Additionally, it was built on a hills so he was explaining that when it rains, due to the hills it will collect in the commons or downtown Ithaca. In other words, the commons will flood. Also, we found out that Ezra Cornell’s fortune came from investing shares in telegraphing companies which merged into what we know as Western Union.

First off, I really appreciate Dr. Blalock stepping in to run Monday’s Table Talk. To be honest, I’ve never given city planning much thought, except perhaps when I complain about traffic bottlenecks and confusing roads when I’m driving. At the Table Talk, I learned that city planning is more than just deciding where the roads and intersections go. It’s a complicated process that has to deal with sanitation, environmental impact, education, health, and general quality of life. City planning often takes years and requires explicit objects and goals detailed in a sight plan before any construction can happen. And there are different ways to city plan; for example, a city can be split up into zones, such as residential and industrial, which have their own sets of guidelines and  restrictions to follow, or it can incorporate mixed use, where residences mesh with schools and commercial areas for convenience.

I also had a good time learning more about Ithaca’s past, from Ezra Cornell’s fortune coming from investing shares into telegraph companies which merged into what is now Western Union to how downtown Ithaca is situated on a flood plain to how Cayuga Lake connects us to the rest of the world via waterways. I did feel a little dumb for knowing next to nothing about Ithaca beforehand, but I’m glad that I’m a little more informed now. Originally, I had come to the Table Talk to learn more about how to better orient myself in a new place, which, as my freshman fall semester can attest to, I am extremely bad at. I’m a little disappointed that we didn’t end up discussing this, but, again, I did pick up new knowledge that I found intriguing, so I still found this Table Talk a positive experience.

Personally, I’ve never put much thought in what the process of mapping a large city is like. Last spring break, I had the opportunity to go to New York City, where I stayed at an airbnb by myself. On Monday my friends and I had a discussion of how useful maps are in places like these. Since I had never been in the city by myself  I relied mostly on “Google Maps” to get around. My friends have lived in New York City their whole lives and they have been relying on the mapping system since they were 10. We discussed the impact it has on many people’s lives and how we wouldn’t be able to navigate without it. Then we discussed how other countries, such as El Salvador don’t have this same system. When I visited there at the end of my Senior Year, I went to a small Island right off the cost of El Salvador and I couldn’t find it on a map. When I got there, I realized that the area was very large and a map would be able to help, in terms of finding where most of the community there was living. I realized how much we take advantage of maps and how helpful they are to us, when we do have them.