visualoop:

Via

(via humanscalecities)

This is a really interesting article that looks at how the history and contribution of the gay and lesbian community in city centres and some of the challenges which are arising out of the blurring lines between the city centre and suburbia. What is interesting about this article is that it focuses upon the political impact that the gay and lesbian community have had upon city centres and their success in suburbia and the potential for continuing political advocacy in the urban realm if more communities relocate to suburbia and beyond.

It is clear that while some of the stereotypical ‘small mindedness’ ‘villager’ ‘homo’ attitudes maybe tackled in suburbia and beyond, there maybe a dilution of political advocacy in cities, where diversity, difference and variety are in abundance and perhaps the gay and lesbian community have some of the most difficult challenges.

In addition, where there is a vibrant gay and lesbian community there is also a local thriving arts, culture and local business economy as well as political advocacy. The question is can inner citiy areas cope without these- Manchester? vauxhall? clapham junction?, san francisco?…what would these places be like without the gay community and is suburbia appropriately equipped with the infrastructure and social support structures to cope with an influx….with changes to planning laws, these issues may become increasingly significant in the UK