Santa Fe is the capital city of New Mexico (USA) and has a lot of inspirational lessons that we could learn from. This is a city that regards the arts as a necessary part of life. You may remember that a couple of years back, the then-chancellor Rishi Sunak was suggesting that mathematics was more important than the arts, which caused a lot of controversy for those believe that the arts are professions just as worthy, if not more.
As well as being a mecca for independent artists, writers and musicians, one of its main schools is a Waldorf school (where art and creativity is focused on as much as academic pursuits).
This Spanish-influenced city also has strict building codes, and is laid out according to the ‘Laws of the Indies’ which date back to 1573. The town is laid out around a central plaza (which also happens in most Italian cities). This way you have the town hall on one side and the church on the other, then a radiating grid of narrow streets and alleys that all are easy to get to from each other.
Often in England areas that are not that far from each other ‘as the crow flies’ take ages to walk to, due to being closed and cut-off (cul-de-sacs are pretty rare worldwide, and seemly something to do with English architecture and design). The grid-style of course encourages walking over car travel. If you live half a mile from the beach but you have to take a 3-mile trip to walk there due to lack of alleyways, you’re likely going to drive.
environmental issues in New Mexico
It’s not all paradise in New Mexico. A few years back, the state sued the US Environmental Protection Agency over negligence after a gold mine waste water spill, which caused heavy metals and arsenic to flow into the water basins of several states, after polluting the Animas River. It did lead to stricter regulations, but the state remains a huge producer of greenhouse gas, due to oil and gas production (emissions are twice the national average). There are however plans afoot to introduce more green energy and electric cars.
