In Defense of Fake Authenticity

Well, the guys at AB417 were kind enough to let me join their societal think tank, so of course I had to pony up a 2,000-word essay for the new newsletter.

The essay, In Defense of Fake Authenticity, is now live on the AB417 web site.

My essay is a response of sorts to a post on Scott Greider’s blog in which he criticizes a local Uno’s Pizzaria for looking like an old urban building but actually being a new suburban building.

I agree with Scott’s concerns, but offer a different perspective:

But I contend there is something real behind this fake authenticity, something that I’d say is good and decent. And those who want to preserve and recapture our city’s downtown as a place of destination and a true city center should look to this fake authenticity as a source of hope.

You can read the essay here.

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1 comment so far ↓

#1 Scott Greider on 06.30.07 at 2:00 am

Wow! Who knew a rambling, latenight post a few months back would inspire such eloquence? Didn’t have the time to read and evaluate the whole thing, but I will, and then I’ll respond.

And can’t wait to get to know each other better soon.

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