Towards an Aesthetic of an High-Density Society

I've noticed that the "retro" aesthetic seems to have lost a lot of its popularity in recent months. Probably a good thing, I think -- it's time to let go of nostalgia and move on towards something new.

In regards to housing in the United States, we've become stuck with the mindset that the "American Dream" involves owning a home with lots of land, a big car, and a house with a family -- more specifically, the vision of a single family home on a single plot of land.

Unfortunately this vision of American life has become more of a burden than a boon right now, where such a lifestyle has become largely economically, ecologically, and politically unsustainable. High-density, mixed-income housing is the only way that we're going to be able to sustain our population's growth without creating a society of extreme inequality; it's also needed to prevent further sprawl into native and undeveloped lands; and to prevent further political/cultural isolation that makes voters susceptible to propaganda and gerrymandering.

If you look at how Hollywood typically produces its content (even now), however, it's obvious that they're still holding onto this old ideal, even as they continue to produce films and TV shows about surburban decay. Stories about high-density housing are usually depicted as dystopian hell-holes full of crime and poverty. (There might be some truth in that historically, but it doesn't necessarily have to be that way.) You'd think that the video game industry would be somewhat more sympathetic to a more progressive vision of the future, but if you look at most of the titles out there, it's obvious that they've been carrying over some of the bad habits from the entertainment industries of the old.

Artists can be a big help here -- artistic visions can capture the proposition of an alternative future in ways words can't. Yes, high-density means a lot of people living closer together, where you might actually have the opportunity to converse and interact people who might be different from you. But if you can make that environment seem appealing and convincing, you would have done your part to paving the way towards a better future. With all of the negativity we see in the media everyday, visionary optimism is more important than ever before.