What makes a town or a city a great place to live? There are many factors, of course, from cost of living to amenities and natural beauty and so on, but there is one factor that surpasses them all. This was pointed out to me by a man who has been dead for some time, G.K. Chesterton. He wrote about what makes cities great in his often surprising and famously thought-provoking testimonial work, Orthodoxy. Using Pimlico as an example—a village in central London which must have been dire in Chesterton’s time—he says:
“Let us suppose we are confronted with a desperate thing—say Pimlico…. It is not enough for a man to disapprove of Pimlico: in that case he will merely cut his throat or move to Chelsea. Nor, certainly, is it enough for a man to approve of Pimlico: for then it will remain Pimlico, which would be awful. The only way out of it seems to be for somebody to love Pimlico: to love it with a transcendental tie and without any earthly reason. If there arose a man who loved Pimlico, then Pimlico would rise into ivory towers and golden pinnacles; Pimlico would attire herself as a woman does when she is loved… If men loved Pimlico as mothers love children, arbitrarily, because it is theirs, Pimlico in a year or two might be fairer than Florence. Some readers will say that this is a mere fantasy. I answer that this is the actual history of mankind. This, as a fact, is how cities did grow great… Men did not love Rome because she was great. She was great because they had loved her.”
Chesterton’s point is sound. Cities and towns (or nations, for that matter) do not rise in glory and beauty by random chance. They rise because they are loved freely and unconditionally by the people who claim them as their own. This is exactly what I see in the town we live in now. Carrigtwohill is not a big town (although it is growing). It doesn’t have a beach, or cliffs, or even a Supervalu (yet), but it has something else which is far more important: it is loved by its people. I’ve never seen a community work together as broadly, and as closely, as our community does. For example, there’s a small army of volunteers here who recently developed a comprehensive plan for the future of Carrigtwohill—for improved supports for those in need, for greater economic development, for the provision of parks and recreation, and so much more—and now, with the full support of the community, they are working to implement it. They don’t do this because it’s their job. They do it in their free time, because they love our town enough to work for it. The problems don’t put them off—they motivate them to find solutions, because they love our town too much to leave it as it is. The benefits don’t make them complacent—they motivate them to grow our community stronger and healthier and better than ever. This kind of love is not based on what Carrigtwohill is, or isn’t, right now. I’m convinced that many of these people (my neighbours), will love our town no matter what it is, or what it becomes, through good and bad and progress and discouragement. They love Carrigtwohill freely and unconditionally, simply because it is theirs. And that’s what makes our town such a great place to live.
sethlewis.ie 
Good point! I’ve once lived in a city (“Münster” in Germany) where many people identify with their city a lot. It was a university town that’s really vibrant and beautiful – for example a big lake in the middle of the city where many people just hang out, BBQ etc.. We had to move because of jobs and the small town we live in now (80.000 inhabitants) doesn’t have a great community spirit, even though it is quite a nice city too. I agree with Chesterton’s and your point in general, but I do believe that a certain sense of attraction to the city – be it its design or its liveliness – makes it more likely that people love their city and thus start to get involved there. I try to initiative, invite neighbors for coffee, get involved in church etc., but I feel most people prefer to keep to themselves. It is actually sometimes hard to see people, most are either in their homes or their cars. Public life exists only on a small scale. The neighbors rarely show up and never initiate contact. It’s a bit frustrating and I guess part of it is German culture that promotes a certain reservedness. I don’t want to give up though and try to “break the ice” where possible if God guides and helps.
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Thanks Sebastian! Yes, good design and beauty and other things can contribute and draw people in to love the place more – and it’s also true that good design and beauty and positive amenities were probably developed by people who cared about the place already, so it goes both ways. I know it can be tough to try to promote community – especially in our modern, individualistic, often isolated world. You are right to try, though, and I pray God blessed your efforts!
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