Cities Might be Dead: A Rebuttal to Jerry Seinfeld’s Op-Ed

All ideas eventually hit their expiration date. Perhaps the modern metropolis has officially overstayed its welcome.

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On Monday I woke up to texts and emails and social media posts all hailing Jerry Seinfeld’s cheeky defense of New York City. He personalized the NYC struggle in the way only Seinfeld can. It was a compelling piece and I found myself missing my old home.

However, in order to survive as a species we must put the concept of big cities under the microscope and decide: should we actually fight to bring our cities back, or should we build a new societal order in their place?

I disagree with Seinfeld’s contention that New York City isn’t dead, or rather, that our beloved metropolis might return to its true form. Rooting for the comeback of yesteryear’s New York City is a function of nostalgia, not an exercise in critical thinking.

It was hard to ignore the fact that Seinfeld wrote this article from his summer home in Long Island. His piece contained within it the implicit argument for why New York City may never return to the way “it was.” Why does Seinfeld have a house in Long Island to begin with?

The answer is, like any New Yorker, he needs a break. He needs space. He needs nature.

It reminds me of the parable of the young fisherman.

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Every day the young fisherman goes out on a rowboat and fishes alone. He lives his dream. Life is simple and beautiful and fulfilling.

One morning a vacationing businessman notices the young man and his talent for fishing. He convinces the fisherman to grow his business and pursue riches.

So the young fisherman buys a second boat and hires a crew. Then four boats. Then sixteen boats. So on and so on until he builds an empire. Decades pass and he becomes a rich man.

And when he finally retires…the fisherman buys a small rowboat and goes out fishing, by himself, to relish in life’s simplicity.

This is where I believe we find ourselves at this moment in human history. We have stretched the limits of our physical evolution at the expense of nature, and often at the expense of individual fulfillment.

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Most of us have recently been deemed “non essential.” Our lifestyles and priorities are being scrutinized like never before and the picture around us is not pretty; civil unrest, political dysfunction, breakdowns in communication. We are a species in the midst of a collective anxiety attack. All of it playing out on the streets of our urban centers.

We must acknowledge the success of our industrial and technological inventions, born and bred in big cities; advances in medicine, decreases in poverty, shelter for diverse opinions, and so much more. And the energy! There is nothing like New York City. One trip on the subway is life-affirming, containing within it the pulse of humanity. Cities provide a different kind of fuel that nature cannot offer, especially for the insatiably ambitious among us.

But the reason one might have an “escape” from New York City is because we are hard-wired as a species to connect with nature. And the space that Mr. Seinfeld has in the Hamptons is no doubt more square footage than his New York City apartment. With more trees and a view of the sunset and access to natural water. That was his choice and he ought to ask himself why he made it in the first place.

What we will soon see from all those fleeing New York City — or any major American city for that matter — is not just a desire to avoid the pandemic. It is a newfound appreciation of space. Of nature. Of simplicity. At this point it is worth considering that there may be no turning back. New York City, as we knew it, may indeed be “Dead.”

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Over the past few years I worked on a film about rural America, and 18 months ago my first child was born, leading me to ask myself some important questions. What are the skills my daughter needs to survive in our future world ? What role will nature play in her upbringing ? What is going to be best for humanity ?

My wife and I believe strongly that in order to be a responsible steward of planet Earth our daughter must understand the workings of nature. We could not provide her that knowledge and experience on the upper west side of Manhattan. Like so many of our generation we recently moved to a rural area and are even learning how to farm. We believe that globalization borne out of urbanization may have finally backfired.

The pandemic rages in densely populated areas, and it spread as a direct result of international travel. I am not arguing for isolationism, but simply a moment of self-reflection to really consider our collective path forward. A path that might, sadly, leave a metropolis like New York City in its rearview mirror. We have become so reliant on global infrastructure that we city people can no longer fend for ourselves locally like a smaller town might; what happens the next time disaster strikes?

And as big cities have thrived for decades rural life has waned, and with it rural economies. Yet what’s produced throughout rural America via agriculture inevitably finds its way into big cities domestically, or large ports internationally. In cities we consider ourselves liberal and forward thinking, but our lifestyles demand that the system exist to benefit our existence, at a great cost to our environment. The term “Concrete Jungle” says it all.

The humility one feels in nature does exist in big cities, but has been thrown out of balance by smartphone technology, social media, and the “me economy.” In essence, our desire to progress and evolve as a species has come at a great cost to our natural environment and our emotional well-being. We have become an anxious species. Nature is the antidote.

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Cities did truly have their time and place. They enabled and amplified human beings’ incredible ability to band together and solve big problems. New York City is a great wonder of this world, teeming with an inimitable energy. But now we need another way. Where once upon a time congregating in big cities was what our species needed most, we might now need to separate in order to survive.

So Mr. Seinfeld, let’s not bemoan the NYC that we fear losing. And let’s not badger those who have fled for a healthier path. Let’s reimagine what cities can accomplish in a world headed towards sure environmental disaster and crippling technological addiction. Let’s appreciate a simpler life and see if we can’t truly learn the lessons of this pandemic.

The expiration date has arrived. Let’s not hold on so tight that things go sour.