http://www.ericaustinlee.com/2009/04/the-city-weird-on-top/ the blog of Eric Austin Lee Mon, 21 Jun 2010 20:53:28 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 http://www.ericaustinlee.com/2009/04/the-city-weird-on-top/comment-page-1/#comment-35902 Kaz Tue, 07 Apr 2009 17:30:28 +0000 http://www.ericaustinlee.com/?p=2003#comment-35902 I think I may have to join you in reading this book. The description of "cities that occupy the exact same geography" reminds me of Baudrillard's simulacra and his re-telling of Borges' <i>On Exactitude in Science</i> where map-makers have become so efficient as to create a map with direct 1:1 correspondence with the territory it describes. Similarly, such mental maps must exist (and possibly real ones) for citizens of both citis if such simulacra replace the actual "unseen" physical reality of The City. Each citizen, it follows, merely inhabits the geographical (and thus manufactured) overlay upon the actual City. I think I may have to join you in reading this book. The description of “cities that occupy the exact same geography” reminds me of Baudrillard’s simulacra and his re-telling of Borges’ On Exactitude in Science where map-makers have become so efficient as to create a map with direct 1:1 correspondence with the territory it describes. Similarly, such mental maps must exist (and possibly real ones) for citizens of both citis if such simulacra replace the actual “unseen” physical reality of The City. Each citizen, it follows, merely inhabits the geographical (and thus manufactured) overlay upon the actual City.

]]>