For contemplation he and valour formed; / For softness she and sweet attractive grace, / He for God only, she for God in him: / His fair large front and eye sublime declared / Absolute rule.
John MiltonRead
The freedom to make and remake our cities and ourselves is, I want to argue, one of the most precious yet most neglected of our human rights.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The ability to shape our environments and identities is a fundamental yet often overlooked human right.
David Harvey's quote underscores the importance of the freedom to influence both our physical surroundings and our personal development. He posits that while this freedom is vital to our existence, it is frequently disregarded or undermined, revealing a significant gap in our understanding of human rights and urban development.
Themes
FreedomCitiesHuman RightsIdentityNeglected
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech advocating for urban reform, one might use this quote to highlight the importance of participatory planning.
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