THE CITY AS A PLACE OF REDEMPTION

The reporters of today’s newspapers have brought new catchphrases and words to common culture: sprawl, sense of place, mixed-use development, and Traditional Neighborhood Design. Certain architects, plan-ners, developers, and citizens across the country have joined in a new movement, named New Urbanism, full of city values and passionate pleas for urbanity and civility as we build and re-form our blocks, neighborhoods, districts, cities, and regions. But what does this have to do with you, if you are a Christian citizen, or an associate pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Missoula, Montana, like Eric Jacobsen who writes, “To most Christians, the idea of urban planning seems as relevant to faith as the current ad-ditions to the American Kennel Association’s list of approved dog breeds — interesting to some, but certainly not vital to faith.”

As part of the Christian Practice of Everyday Life series, Eric O. Jacobsen’s book, Sidewalks in the Kingdom: New Urbanism and the Christian Faith, attempts to bring New Urbanism to the attention of all Christians, whether leaders or laymen. Jacobsen connects the New Urbanist bridge to Christian-ity by discussing the role of cities biblically, the role of the Christian within the city, and spelling out the “markers of the city,” or for what it is exactly that Christians and cities should be striving.

Sidewalks in the Kingdom begins by tracing the path Americans have chosen for their cities, while being distracted by the false gods of individualism, independence, and freedom. As false gods, these goals “consistently fail to deliver what they promise,” and have embraced choices of isolation, in one-acre lots and in our cars, in removing ourselves from the problems of the city, and the problems of the people within it. In fairness, Jacobsen then devotes much effort to looking at bib-lical cities to seek how a Christian should be responding to this culture of isolation. He concludes, keeping in mind the New Jerusalem promised in the book of Revelation, that the city is a place of redemption, a place of restoration from our sinful human-ity, and a place that God is using for good. The city is important to us, because it is a place that is important to God.

Jacobsen continues to explain that while there are currently many Christian ministries within the city, the focus has been two-fold: to create a separation from what is “worldly,” and to create institutions of mercy. While both ministries are affective, “the density of houses or the grandeur of public buildings would most likely not be seen by either group as relevant to its redeemed character.” More importantly, it is within our cities, towns, and villages that the most complex, ordinary, most loving, and often most difficult relationships dwell. This proximity is a key to building relationships as a Christian. Meetings with those in need don’t need to be planned and driven to in rush-hour traffic, but rather they tend to occur on a public bench, or at a local store, or during a stroll around the neighborhood.

The second half of Sidewalks in the Kingdom is devoted to describing the six distinct markers of the city: public spaces, mixed-use zoning, local economy, beauty and quality in the built environment, critical mass, and the presence of strangers. Not every city includes each marker, but these markers describe our “impressions of the communities in which we live, whether or not they qualify as cities.”

Those who have been exposed to the New Urbanism will likely find Jacobsen’s discourse familiar and straightforward. However, there is a powerful call to consider this call from the design world from a Christian perspective. Public spaces create informal relationships, combat isolation, and allow for sharing and discourse. Mixed-use zoning enriches community and allows for incidental contact among friends and strangers. A simple focus on design elements, like sidewalks, allow for the human ele-ment of our built environment, where the predominant design efforts of our current built environment are a combination of “modernist hubris” and “capitalist reductionism.” Both of these design efforts lack a human or community-building imprint, as well as removing the value from craftsmanship. As Jacobsen puts it: “What is at stake with regard to human imprint is the doctrine of vocation ... The kinds of working situations that are created out of standardized plans and uniform construction limit the potential for true enthusiasm in our work.” In conclusion, Jacobsen ponders the church’s role in New Urbanism, and in our cities. He offers three ways the church offers its services: as stewards of public urban spaces (the church building itself); with theological wisdom; and through direct political involvement.

Sidewalks in the Kingdom offers up many resources for those interested in learning more about New Urbanism, and is a convincing argument for the involvement of Christians in the formation of the built environment, and especially our cities.

Kathryn Schuth is a practicing architect

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