Shared vision and purpose to make life better.
Bright ideas and intention outshine bright lights.
Creative, learning cultures enrol people,
with joy, dignity and generosity.
Pathfinders through uncertainty hold tension,
invite connection,
imagine futures,
build our resilience.
Significant cities ask what the Earth needs,
and provide it in balance with human needs.
City Kokoro (28/2/2025 – 07/03/2025) in Design Shifts, a poetic journey through post-normal times.
The original title of this poem was “Cities of Significance” inspired by Seth Godin’s book: “Song of Significance”. Kokoro – a Japanese word that refers to heart, spirit, mind and self. It’s the inner and outer expression of who we are and what we’re capable of. The city as a larger living entity likewise has a Kokoro.
Figure: Daffara, P. (2025). City Kokoro [Digital montage of Ink on trace] adapted from the author’s PhD research published in Rethinking tomorrow’s cities: Emerging issues on city foresight. Figure 4. Journal of Futures. vol 43. (2011).
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