European Centre for Art, Culture and Science

Thursday April 3 2008 / Citizenship

The city: park or jungle

Many people are proud of the city in which they live. The structure of the city ideally fits the culture of the inhabitants of the city. The city is also a meeting-point or crossroads for a great variety of different people and cultures. Rules create the conditions in which these different people can live together in peace. Without such rules, parts of the city will become jungles in which only the fittest survive. But when rules come from various sources, a jungle of rules emerges. Security companies, the police and other state bodies all implement rules and restrictions. As a consequence public space falls to pieces. Can the city only be shown through security cameras? How can the city become a comfortable human park (again)?

With lectures by Marc Schuilenburg (lecturer in Criminology, VU University) and Harm Kaal (historian, VU University). Gawie Keyser (film critic of the Dutch magazine Groene Amsterdammer) presents a lecture on the image of the city in films.

The theme of the seminar fits the theme of the Month of Philosophy: the city. The seminar is part of the lecture series Our Pride, but can also be attended separately.

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