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One can say that the city itself is the collective memory of its people, and like memory it is associated with objects and places. The city is the locus of the collective memory.
Aldo Rossi
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The city represents the shared memories and experiences of its inhabitants, manifesting in its structures and spaces.

Aldo Rossi suggests that a city is not just a physical place, but a repository of the collective memories of its people. As memory is tied to specific objects and locations, the city serves as a living representation of the history and experiences shared by its residents, shaping their identity and culture.

Themes

CityMemoryCollectiveCultureArchitecture

In practice

Example use cases

This quote can be used in an urban planning discussion to highlight the importance of preserving historical architecture.

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One cannot make architecture without studying the condition of life in the city
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What surprises me most in architecture, as in other techniques, is that a project has one life in its built state but another in its written or drawn state.
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