The Momentum of a City is Proportional to its Density

I’m stating the obvious, I know, but having lived in Hamburg for a year and then returning to Manhattan, especially midtown, reminds me of the energy that propelled my career when I was younger: the masses of people crammed into giant buildings, filling the wide sidewalks, filling every space available.

It’s not necessarily a good thing. Hamburg is a balance between the advantages of modern life and the needs of humans: many more green spaces, almost no very tall buildings, an emphasis on quality rather than efficiency.