by Simon
•Simon is a young Bahamian with things on his mind
who wishes to remain anonymous. His column 'Front Porch' is published
every Tuesday in the Nassau Guardian. He can be reached at
frontporchguardian@gmail.com.
Renewing the City of Nassau is a journey of self-definition and discovery: a recollection of history that informs our national longings and forward thinking.
It is an exercise of the Bahamian Imagination that should not be calculated with limited regard for a broader vision for the development of the island and Commonwealth which Nassau anchors.
A city’s architecture, especially the capital, chronicles a nation’s history and showcases its ambitions, priorities and dreams – and its conceits and failures.
In ancient Africa and the Americas, in Asian and European capitals, palaces, temples or cathedrals often dominated the city, reminding souls and subjects of their place in a cosmology that bound the sovereign powers of heaven and earth.
New York City’s skyline is dominated by commercial skyscrapers reaching for the heavens in pursuit of economic interests. The mass murderers who destroyed the World Trade Center understood the iconic nature of the twin towers.
Paris’ architectural obsession is French culture and history, from the iconic Eiffel Tower, built to mark the centennial of the French Revolution, to the imposing Arc de Triomphe to the world-renowned Louvre.
Nassau’s cityscape is dominated by the towering complex of Atlantis which can be seen from numerous viewpoints throughout New Providence. What does this say about us as a nation? It is not an easy question answerable in knee-jerk bromides against the “evils of tourism”.
Certainly, part of the answer will be discovered in how we re-imagine, renew and recast the City of Nassau, balancing our reliance on tourism with a deeper understanding of why we pursue these tourist dollars.
If our gross domestic ambition is an orgy of materialism fuelled by tourism receipts, the redevelopment of Nassau is a simple matter, mostly requiring the skills of Disneyesque fantasy-makers who can help us morph our capital into a theme park for those visitors in hunt of the illusion of authenticity.
Yet it is not the mass of tourists we should fear. The greater fear is that a critical mass of Bahamians and a small group-think of limited interests will bring both time and hide-bound mindsets to a historic enterprise: past, present and future.
Atlantis, like the ancient city it mimicks, is an idea, part lost world, part fantasy. Nassau is also an idea, a world being rediscovered, teeming with possibility and over 300 years old.
NEW BRAND
Sol Kerzner’s vision to redevelop a once-named Hog Island in the footsteps of dreamers like Huntington Hartford, who envisioned a new brand of paradise there, is the kind of boldness of vision needed to recast Nassau into a more capital city.
Paradise Island must be an adjunct to Nassau’s ongoing transformation, the eventual result of which should be authentically Bahamian and internationally recognizable experiences and iconic features surpassing Atlantis’ triple towers.
Geneva, Switzerland is a key financial services capital, but its more internationally recognizable features are not buildings showcasing this primary industry. That (inter)national honour is shared by an architecture which expresses values at the heart of the Swiss Imagination: efficiency and international diplomacy.
The Jet d’Eau or water-jet -- one of the largest fountains in the world, spouting 132 gallons of water per second 459 feet in the air from Lake Geneva -- is visible throughout Geneva and when flying some miles over the less than 200,000 people who call it home.
Originally a water safety valve, this world renowned icon actually deserving of such a designation, dazzles, especially at night, boasting eight 9,000 watt projectors lighting its water columns.
Geneva also serves as the headquarters for over 300 international organizations, including several UN offices, the WTO, the International Red Cross and others. Along with a variety of museums and other cultural features, these institutions lend a certain character to this city beyond its commercial interests even while helping to boost the local economy.
AMBITIONS
To wit, we should increasingly view Nassau not simply as a tourist destination, but also as a city with ambitions beyond the status quo and beyond our domestic preoccupations. We should set our sights higher regarding the possibilities for the ongoing transformation of Nassau as a more cosmopolitan and global city.
A former teacher once noted, “Men come together in cities in order to live; they remain together in order to live the good life.” The teacher was Aristotle, who lived in an ancient city-state with a population about the size of a modern Bahamas.
While the great philosopher never experienced traffic jams and malfunctioning traffic lights he understood the challenges associated with large groups of people struggling to live together in relative peace and stability.
He appreciated how the city might help to cultivate the “good life” and preserve and transmit the traditions and wisdom of various movements of human civilization, be they master ideals or the institutions in which they find a permanent home, always in need of renewal and refurbishment – just like Nassau.
Those fountainheads of civilization which socialize successive generations are rooted in the architecture, public spaces and possibilities of Nassau Town -- and must inform its redevelopment.
The finer cities of the world strive for a balance between commercial, cultural and governmental interests and the need for artistic and religious expression, recreation, beauty, shopping, dining and other civilizing attributes.
Next week in the final part of this series Front Porch will suggest more detailed ideas for renewing the City of Nassau.
This was excellent. It wasn't 'factual' based or focused on 'concrete' details yet, but the kind of inspirational message and 'vision' that we would like to see politicians 'capable' of describing. Sorely, we don't have that yet. A much stronger message and vision than the previous post. Enjoyed this tremendously and looking forward to the next one.
Cheers!
Posted by: Erasmus Folly | May 30, 2009 at 10:51 AM