"The 'minimum existence' does not bring happiness, whatever the situation. So let us concentrate our means on certain points, even if in doing so we create a single moment of sensuality, of well-being; that is better that sinking the lot in a mediocre middle-class house."
"What is at stake is far from insignificant; it is how one should live one's life".
What is a city? Foremost it is a place where we strive to live…not just exist. It is where we would like to make our home. Home is where the HEART is. What is the importance of this?
"heart n 1 a hollow muscular organ whose contractions pump the blood throughout the body 2 this organ considered as the centre of emotions, esp. love. 3 tenderness or pity: my heart went out to her. 4 courage or spirit. 5 the most central part or important part: at the heart of Italian motor racing. 6 (of vegetables, such as cabbage) the inner compact part. 7 the breast: she held him to her heart. 8 a shape representing the heart, with two rounded lobes at the top meeting in a point at the bottom. 9 a a red heart-shaped symbol on a playing card. b a card with one or more of these symbols or (when pl) the suit of cards so marked. 10 break someone's heart to cause someone to grieve very deeply esp. by ending a love affair. 11 by heart by memorizing. 12 have a change of heart to experience a profound change of outlook or attitude. 13 have one's heart in one's mouth to be full of apprehension, excitement, or fear. 14 have the heart to have the necessary will or callousness (to do something): I didn't have the heart to tell him. 15 set one's heart on something to have something as one's ambition. 16 take heart to become encouraged. 17 take something to heart to take something seriously or be upset about something. 18 wear one's heart on one's sleeve to show one's feelings openly. 19 with all one's heart deeply and sincerely. If we consider the home as where the heart is, or rather the home as if it were a heart; then we can draw out its importance from this provocative description. The first and perhaps most literal part of the definition is the most relevant in terms of the theoretical city. The heart organ draws deoxygenated blood into its chambers replenishing the haemoglobin with oxygen molecules (oxy haemoglobin) then pushing it back out into the living body. The home has the same function spiritually; first welcoming and embracing, then comforting and nurturing, finally it should be purposeful and inspiring (for our own benefit and that of the city)."
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