The Horizons of our City

The horizons of our city are not just cosmetic.

They towered over the city. It was almost impossible to turn in any direction without seeing one of the metallic armatures in operation at various points throughout the area. The cranes took the horizon for themselves and began to raise the city to their own height. While they were ugly and offensive to the eye, they represented a booming economy that had been forced to expand skywards. These cranes showed us the potential of our city, where we could go, where we stood and what our limitations were.

While these cranes are less prevalent now, below them the streets of the city remain. The veins and arteries that give it life and in turn, give us life. These too exemplify the importance of height and depth within a city. From the centre of the city moving outwards streets are marked with the designations of 'lower' and 'upper'. The streets that are closest to the centre gain the suffix 'lower', while the streets further from the centre are given the suffix 'upper'. The centre then, is the 'lowest' point of the city. It is the foundation of the entire urban area and is an unshakable constant and clean slate. These streets of varying 'heights' also show us the potential of our city, where we could go, where we stood and what our limitations are.

We have seen shifting fortunes within the city and with this comes a shift in the way we work and live in the urban area. With these changes, the once numerous cranes have diminished and as such, caused much fear to those that recognised what they represented. Many felt that as the cranes disappeared, so did the potential of the city. But this is not true. This potential is intrinsically represented in the very layout of our city. The 'height' of our streets makes this obvious.

We should not fear the loss of the cranes. Instead, we should recognise that potential is still, and always has been, latent in the foundations of the city.

-The English Student