Education and the Quality of Thought about Urban Problems - The Urban Lens Newsletter

“We cannot solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them". 
Albert Einstein

In addition to environmental issues such as global warming, several important sets of problems face urban America.  For one, housing affordability is a major challenge in more than a few urban areas, as are high levels of crime and violence, racial and social inequality, traffic congestion, limited public transportation options, inadequate infrastructure and income inequality. 

But no matter what set of urban problems anyone considers, the only viable solutions are those based upon collaborative actions involving a wide range of policymakers, community leaders, and citizen-residents.  And the quality of the thinking of the actors can make all the difference in the outcomes.

Investments in education are the single most reliable approach to enabling people to approach problems at a higher level of thinking than was used to create them.  Investments in education at all levels from pre-kindergarten through college are vital. 

Almost everyone who does not know how to read, write, do basic math, or write a coherent sentence can with a bit of effort, an opportunity, and a bit of motivation and discipline, learn to do so.  People can learn their rights and responsibilities as citizens, come to understand the political system, learn to think critically and independently, recognize the importance of civic engagement, and show respect for diversity.  They can as a rule be taught and learn the ability to navigate and evaluate media sources to ensure they are receiving accurate and unbiased information.

Of course, education is not the only factor that influences the quality of a person's thought. Other factors, such as life experiences, personal beliefs, heuristics and biases can also play a significant role.  Informal or other activities that encourage the development of a curious mind which constantly seeks out new information and ideas can lead to a deeper understanding of complex issues.  Activities that cultivate empathy can help a person to think more critically about their own beliefs and assumptions.  Taking time to reflect on one's thoughts and experiences can help to clarify and refine one's thinking.  And being aware of one's own mental heuristics, limitations, and blind spots can help to prevent faulty or biased thinking.  Ultimately, the quality of a person's thought depends on a complex interplay of various factors, and education is just one of many factors that can contribute to it.

Although education can go a long way toward helping to solve urban problems, it is clearly not a panacea.  It can facilitate further and more widespread development of more sufficient knowledge models, better conceptualizations of problems, enhanced learning and improved choices.  Education at all levels can indirectly but powerfully lead to more effective action and better solutions to a wide range of urban problems.

This said, one thing that has become clear to me over my years at universities is that not everyone should go to college.  In fact, some of the people I have known and admired the most have had no college degree.  They’ve developed habits of high-quality thinking in other ways besides formal academic education.  They include policemen, firemen, tradesmen, and graduates of vocational education programs. 

Moreover, some of the people I have known with advanced university degrees strike me as being anything but admirable or successful human beings.  They exhibit neither the interest, the curiosity, the self-awareness nor the open-mindedness required to have obtained the sort of education that would actually have raised the quality of their thought.  Their degrees must have been granted by diploma mills, not investment-worthy, academically challenging programs.  Far too many people have been sold a bill of goods which says that getting a college degree is necessary for living a worthwhile and fulfilling life.

But the point is that despite the many limitations of formal educational programs, those that demand high academic achievement from students at whatever level are still the single most reliable method for improving the quality of peoples’ thoughts and actions.  They can provide individuals with the necessary tools to think critically and logically, enable them to better analyze information, make sounder judgments, and form more well-reasoned opinions. 

Education can provide exposure to new ideas that can help communities grow and develop.  Educated people can help provide the foundations for better planning and decision-making, more effective consideration of the needs and interests of diverse groups of people, improved weighing of the potential costs and benefits of different options in choice situations, and better anticipations of the potential unintended consequences of decisions and actions.  They can broaden peoples’ knowledge and perspective, exposing them to different ideas, cultures, and experiences that can help to challenge and expand their thinking, thus driving innovation and creativity. 

Education can also improve peoples' communication skills, allowing them to articulate their thoughts and ideas more effectively, and enhancing the effectiveness with which their groups act collectively.  They can enhance thoughtful and informed discussions about issues like climate change, pollution, and social justice and can lead to more sustainable policies and practices that benefit everyone in the community.  The list of the benefits of such programs could go on and on.  And cumulatively across many people, the indirect but powerful benefits they bring can make all the difference in the world.

The recognition that urban problems cannot be solved with the same level of thinking that created them should, in my view, be much more prominently recognized and discussed.  It’s certainly an idea that’s been around for a long time.  Its outlines in terms of educational curricula can readily be found in the writing of prominent thought-leaders throughout American history such as Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Booker T. Washington, W.E.B Du Bois, Jane Addams, and John Dewey.

In any case, regardless of whether one considers formal programs of education or any other means of improving the quality of thought used in shaping urban areas, what really matters for the solution of urban problems is the recognition that raising the quality of thought is a necessary precondition for successful, lasting solutions, together with the actions this implies.  Formal education can greatly help, but in the end, whatever raises the level of thinking about these problems is a necessary part of their solutions.  

Bill Bowen

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