In this writing, I will talk about the ‘polis’ — a form of Greek community.  I will connect it to other readings from architectural and urban history and theory classes (from this semester and last semester). Lastly, I plan on connecting the reading to New York City’s urban landscape though some connections to New York’s Chinatown.

THE POLIS

Our reading suggests that the ‘polis’ neither a city, nor a town or region. The best it can state is that it is, as has been handed down, a ‘city state’ — for which we, in modern society, have no modern equivalent. My view is that we call it this, because polis like Athens and the other small communities existed for many years with its communal and social forms of ‘togetherness’.

We know from the reading that the polis was form a form of community that typically numbered over 5,000 and only in a handful of cases, numbered up to around 20,000 citizens (though slaves, women, and foreigners had no voting rights). Each of polis was a self-governing community, of men (it is theorized that while all men could vote if they chose, many may have elected not to do so and that decisions were made by a smaller group). This enabled its citizens to each have a voice in shaping the community and it’s affairs.

Beyond this, there were additional reasons that made the polis unique:
•  Historical development — this type of community was a 2,000 year-old process
•  Geographical location — often isolated by mountainous terrain and the sea
•  Economic reasons — each polis was independent of others and self-sufficient
•  Social habits — the community tended to think of itself as a ‘whole’
•  Openness — though each polis had its own identity and independence, foreigners and outsiders were welcome but come the last (behind the community

CONNECTIONS TO OTHER READINGS

In absorbing the reading, I see some connections to some of our other readings from this and previous semesters. To me, the polis is shares something from Owen’s ideal communities — his cities were to be utopian models — small in size, each community self-sufficient, where everyone could be happy, and enjoy working and their life together.

I can also make a connection to how these polis communities were very much like enclaves, since each was whole and shared ‘community values’ that gave many unique characteristics.

There is a connection to size, as in the ‘Roman System’. Cities of the romans were rarely larger than 10,000 people. Wile the size was similar, the Roman System was planned according to principals to ‘make a city’ while the polis came together more as a community, almost like a modern commune.

I can even make a connection to “Contested Cities” reading. In this reading, a thing (as in city) is not made, a process makes it, thus making a thing (a city) — but isn’t the polis’ 2,000 year evolution process itself? It took Greek 2000 years to crate polises and the concept of them — a rough, long processes.

RELATIONSHIP TO NEW YORK CITY

I would like to make the argument that Chinatown in Manhattan is a ‘modern polis’. It is an ethnic enclave with population of 100,000 Chinese immigrants. Compared to the polis’ 5,000-20,000 citizens, it is very large. But, if we consider for a moment in both Roman and Greek times, that 5,000-20,000 was also considered ‘very large’— we can then compare the 100,000 in Chinatown to New York’s urban 20 million people — thus saying that it is an isolated community with it’s own social customs and economic self sufficiency, for Chinatown has it’s own voice that sets it apart as a modern polis within Manhattan. Chinatown is both a residential area and commercial area — so self-sufficient is it, that one of Chinese descent, never need leave it. Chinatown has all of the things Chinese people are accustomed to need to: food, clothing, banking, businesses, holidays, recreation and culture. This social make up of Chinatown says, “we belong to this special area, and we are Chinese, this is our place, our culture, others are welcome but they come to us as our guests.” — Much the same as a foreign visitor would have found themselves in a Greek polis.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, we can see how regardless of time or ideals, all of these thoughts come together as sharing social connections. While the polis no longer can exist in modern society, we can see that there are in essence, ‘modern polises’ in many places as ethnic enclaves.

QUESTION

Which is better? The polis recreated in today’s society, or modern planned cities?