February 2006 - Charlotte: The Inner Game

Our city is growing. Every day something new is replacing something familiar.

With growth comes change, and with change comes chances to re-invent ourselves. But where are we headed? How do we get where we want to? Moreover, how can one comprehend – and act upon – changes that happen at such a large scale

Let us talk about all that at our next Point8 meeting next Monday, when Mark Peres, the editor of Charlotte Viewpoint, leads the session:

Charlotte: The Inner Game – An Analysis of the Self-Actualization of the City.

Mark will start by looking at new and proposed projects in and around downtown, and (to quote him) “shift to a psychological analysis of what it expresses about Charlotte’s ‘civic self’. Borrowing principles from Neitzsche, Maslow and Jung, the presentation will explore how the city’s identity is maturing and actualizing. The presentation introduces a new way of understanding a city’s growth and evolving character by looking at examples of developmental psychology and evolutionary consciousness. ”

It also leads to the larger questions like:

• - How do we build civilizations?
• - How do we approach the notion of a city?
• - Where is Charlotte in its maturation?
• - What should we be aware of citizens and leaders?

Be there, and let us know what you think!

*Painting by Sharon Dowell-Obee – “Rooftop View, Charlotte, NC”