Americans don't really think that other places are as real as America.

Everyone is aware that tremendous numbers of people concentrate in city downtowns and that, if they did not, there would be no downtown to amount to anything--certainly not one with much downtown diversity.

Cities need old buildings so badly it is probably impossible for vigorous streets and districts to grow without them.... for really new ideas of any kind--no matter how ultimately profitable or otherwise successful some of them might prove to be--there is no leeway for such chancy trial, error and experimentation in the high-overhead economy of new construction. Old ideas can sometimes use new buildings. New ideas must use old buildings.

By its nature, the metropolis provides what otherwise could be given only by traveling; namely, the strange.

But look what we have built ... This is not the rebuilding of cities. This is the sacking of cities.

It is hopeless to try to convert some borders into seams.

The best part of a Reg Hartt presentation is what he has to say.