Seemingly unimportant things make the most important of differences. Why do Bollywood movies have songs – to make the rest of the movie easier to digest. Why do artists have eccentricities – to make an excuse for freedom of expression. Why are scientists mad – so that they continuously think outside the box. These additions are necessary to maintain equilibrium and propel growth, even if they aren't at the crux of their being. So there might be a higher purpose to the existence of cities, but at the helm is the all important additions of maintaining administrative matters like roads, drainage, transportation, optimal use of taxes, education, eradication of poverty, health care and the mammoth – infrastructure.
The way I look at it – civic amenities are like great morning sex. If it happens like it should, you'll dance your day through. If I wake up in the morning and electricity is not disconnected, water is available, food prices are in check – I'll be on my way in a jiffy. If the roads are pothole-free and not flooded with rain water because of good drainage systems, pedestrians have footpaths to walk on, drivers have lanes to follow – I'll make no bones about getting to wherever I have to go. If city planning is at its pinnacle and one-way roads are actually helping move traffic faster, the metro lines aren't collapsing on me and there are lesser poor people on the streets – I promise to honk less and smile more. If I don't need to be wary of service or quality when I step into a hospital, believe that higher education is not just a scheme and am insured of the fact that the authorities have done their job in due diligence on companies where I'm placing my life's savings –I'll be happy to help with my share of taxes.
And then when I get to work, I will be composed and relaxed and will not aggressively shove my work down my underlings throat…because I don't feel angry and cheated. I will be productive and powerful and responsible. This is the second most important thing for development – hey snob, do your job! If everybody buckles down and performs his assigned task to near perfection, can you imagine what levels of progress this well oiled machine of a country will achieve? Then the only real problems we will have are the foreign policies, home ministries, terrorism, slowing economies and probably judgment day. But hey, I'm cool with that as long as I'm dancing.
