¿Está creciendo la "no ciudad"? | Alejandro Csome | TEDxRíodelaPlata

The speaker reflects on his upbringing in the "Republic of Mataderos," a neighborhood that forged lasting friendships despite the challenges of technical school. He describes a life intertwined with his friends, sharing experiences from skipping class to family meals, all within the close-knit community. This bond was challenged when one friend moved to a country club, prompting the speaker's exaggerated reaction, "Teacher, how can you leave the slaughterhouses?" He then introduces his family legacy as builders, spanning four generations with the same name, Alejandro Some. His grandfather, an immigrant from Hungary, brought building expertise, which was passed down through the family, culminating in the speaker becoming an architect. He now designs homes, seeing them as the "first cell of a living organism"—cities. The speaker illustrates the essence of a vibrant city through a morning scenario: waking up, deciding to get croissants, encountering a daughter, greeting a neighbor, chatting with a greengrocer, and meeting a childhood friend in the neighborhood square. He highlights two layers of a city: the material (infrastructure, services, buildings) and the immaterial (uses, traditions, customs, human bonds). He emphasizes that the city exists in the union of these layers, with the "other" and the link between people being the central element. He contrasts this with the "non-city," a type of urban environment facing extinction. In a non-city, daily life lacks spontaneous interactions: children are bused to distant schools, shops are nonexistent, and commutes are long and solitary. Public spaces are empty, fostering insecurity and isolation, which impact the immaterial layer of human connection. The speaker argues that this shift isn't just modernity but a threat to "social well-being." He cites research showing that third-order social bonds positively impact health and life expectancy, while social isolation accelerates aging and worsens mental and physical health. While acknowledging the State's role and the changing nature of neighborhoods, the speaker proposes an active urban role for everyone. As an architect, he learned that windows connect homes to the city, gardens beautify blocks, and supportive neighbors foster community. He plans to break the naming tradition with his son, Tobias Alejandro, but intends to pass on the tradition of "building the city" as part of their identity and heritage. He envisions a future where his children can walk home safely, find community in local clubs, and maintain friendships, saving the essential elements of cities: the other person and the bonds between us.