Introduction
Since the dawn of the civilization, people have been trying to come up with the concept of an ideal city where the citizens live in peace, the authorities strive for the greater good of the dwellers and the judicial system can make even Themis herself shed a tear of delight. One of the earliest and by far the most famous concepts of an ideal city was introduced by Plato. Focused mostly on the economical aspects of a city life, it left out a number of political and social aspects.
Ideal City and Economics
Speaking of my concept of an ideal city, I will have to admit that economical issues must be the priority of the city mayor. However, since well-developed economic system presupposes that the city in question has an efficient economical infrastructure and fruitful organizations with impressive revenues, one must admit that the political system of the city in question is also rather well thought-out.
That said, it is necessary to keep in mind that the choice of the political system is crucial for the development of both state and private entrepreneurship and, which is even more important, the balance between the two.
Morals
Speaking of the moral values, it seems that these can hardly be defined either by the society, or by the authorities; for this purpose, the citizens will need either the authority of the highest power, i.e., God and His Testaments, or their own idea of what morality is.
While it is crucial to provide certain restrictions, e.g., draw the line between bad manners (being rude) and petty crime (being politically incorrect). In its turn, the society is very susceptible to the trends and other influences, which means that its moral values care apt to shaping and changing. That said, it must be admitted that moral values are the concern of each citizen, yet it should not be brought into public discussion.
Taxation
As for the taxation issue, it is necessary to keep in mind the specifics of the way in which a society works. As a rule, an ordinary citizen knows little to no facts about the city economy and the strategies to develop it, as well as the statistics on the city enterprises income, and other variables that define the economical strategy.
On the other hand, a citizen has the right to know where his taxes go. Therefore, it can be offered that the citizens should be provided a detailed account of the taxation and further money distribution, as well as offer suggestions concerning other distribution options and even protest in case of unfair distribution, yet would not need to handle the process of money redistribution.
Ideal City and Education
Another important element of a city organization, the educational sphere must be represented by both the compulsory education and the optional (professional) one.
While it is crucial that all the city dwellers should be educated and know the basic things that will help them survive and be able to work and get paid, it is desirable that the city could also provide other educational opportunities, such as the chance to become a highly qualified professional or even get a degree in certain field to continue working on the theoretical or practical aspects of the researched problem.
Ideal City and Society
Finally, the idea that people should serve only one function in the society seems wrong. Unfortunately, people sometimes make wrong career choices. In case of Plato’s idea coming true, such people would have not had the chance to reconsider the existing options and, therefore, would not have been able either to contribute to society, or to become successful. Therefore, the plethora of options makes the core of a successfully developed city.