City life

Last night I learned something. We took the Chicago Architecture Foundation Center's River Cruise and Architecture Tour, and my main takeaway was that when you build a lot of big buildings, a lot of people will come live and work in them, at least if they are in Chicago. And then you have to keep building them.

After the great Chicago Fire, in defiance of nature and in proclamation of the dominance of capitalism, Chicago started to soar. They had the World's Fair and in a massive case of groupthink people flocked to the city and began to build even more cool, tall buildings. The residents here are rightly proud of them: there was a plan here, and the plan was executed.

Really, who wouldn't want to spend their days stacked in skyscrapers surrounded by other skyscrapers, all jammed into a couple miles of city? It seems ideal. They bring commerce to you, and somehow, you contribute to it. The circle of life.

In fact, architectural endeavors here continue to this day. In recent memory, the Chicago River used to be nasty and gross, but now it's pleasingly gentrified, with industrial buildings converted into condos, riverwalk areas, open spaces, and of course: more residents. They build more vertical housing every year. What could be more beautiful?

Walking back from the Tour along the Riverwalk, we encountered many, many people. They were everywhere. How could we be surprised? That is, after all, the point.