Attempting Quote by James Howard Kunstler
“I won't deny the polemical elements in my work, but they are less in the service of attempting to reform human behavior than the delighted exercise of my rather malicious sense of humor - especially vis-a-vis the horrifying everyday environment we have produced for ourselves. These mall-scapes, burb-scapes, urban wildernesses, starchitect stunts, and other toxic contexts for our daily lives express about every human vice, stupidity, and blunder that it is possible for a society to make. It all leads, really, to a psychological place where only comedy or despair make sense.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Geography of Nowhere, 1999
The author critiques modern urban design as a harmful, humor‑laden commentary on how built environments reflect human folly and foster despair or comedy.
In simple terms: Modern cities are often absurd and harmful.
Key Takeaway
Reevaluate urban planning for humanity.
Themes
urban criticism
humor
environmental critique
social commentary
psychology
Mood
critical
reflective
skeptical
Type
analysis
satire
philosophical
When to use this quote
- city planning
- public policy
- community activism
- design education
Key Concepts
malicious humor
urban decay
cultural decay
human behavior
Questions to Reflect On
- What design changes could improve daily life?
- How does humor affect public perception?
A Different Perspective
Humor may obscure serious solutions.
![“The ideas of [ Le Corbusier ] that actually found their way into practice were deeply destructive - for instance, the tower-in-a-park, which mutated into the vertical slums of the late 20th century.” quote by James Howard Kunstler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/439/james-howard-kunstler-2886_20th-century_the-ideas-of-le-corbusier-that-actually_106405.jpg)
![“On my way out of [Atlantic City] at quarter after seven in the morning, a young pump jockey at the gas station [...] mentioned that another man had lost $20,000 at Trop World a few hours earlier and had to be dragged out of the casino kicking and screaming. I asked if this happened a lot. "Man,"…” quote by James Howard Kunstler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/601/james-howard-kunstler-2886_another-man_on-my-way-out-of-atlantic-city-at-quarte_118435.jpg)
