Chapter 1

It is an instantaneous decision for us to put forward ‘city investigation’, while ，judge it is feasible or not comes hereafter.
I value the coincidence more although it might converts into necessity.
The continuation of coincidence should have many possibilities, otherwise it is not worth the valuable coincidence.

City investigation has various paths, every investigator will find his own way .Although choices take us to unexpected places, we have to chose due to many people involved in this research.
City investigation is not for realistic utilitarian purpose, it is for understanding the connotation of city better, extending the boundary of cognition. It is a kind of internal achievement.
Therefore, the investigation of city is the same with city thinking.，Is present of thought in the form of a different relationship with cities.
To us ,no matter to settle in the city, wander in the city ,stay in the city shortly or constantly ,enter or leave the city, even purely stand by or reverie purely ,these are possible forms of relationship between us and cities . Overflow thoughts in our minds are most true and worthy when relationship happens.
City thinking should focus on the directness of thought.
Direct thought is base on the ‘contradiction’ of city (‘contradiction’ is positive not passive.)
Exploring the city should start from the ‘contradiction’.
‘Contradiction’ are everywhere in the city.

Chapter 2 About ‘Contradiction’

Phenomenology tells us‘Contradiction’ is the premise of open mind.
‘Contradiction’ is the incompatible product of reason and logic, such as memory, we can recall what happened yesterday, but we cannot remember what was in the mind yesterday. We cannot set foot in the river twice, and even for once.
Phenomenology guides us acquaint that ‘Contradiction’ is not far away, it is around now and then.
Habitual ways of thinking and classical philosophy blind our eyes to perceive it, and made us into seduction situation. We thought reason and logic can solve every problem, and there always has an absolute line from A to B. But we have not noticed that it is actual a curve which approximate or infinitely approximate to a straight line. Air and light will make it vibrate and skewing definitely.
In classical philosophy, ‘Contradiction’ will bring us to nothing, it is agnostic and passive.
While ,There are many German and French philosopher ,like ‘Scheler’ , ‘Heidegger’, ‘Levinas’, ‘Derrida’ ,they face ‘Contradiction’ directly ,part and refine it, cut off ,part and isolate the approximate linear subtle curve cruelly, help people fell pleasure from ideology, contemplate the uncertainty of things and widen sight.
‘Contradiction’ is active, it will lead us to pure nothingness otherwise, it make us experience pure cognition, help us cut original path when facing the ‘Contradiction’, take us to a brand new height of thought and cognition.

Chapter 3 Introspection

Our introspection is not base on specific path or path selection.
Our introspection is purposeless, it is normal for thought.
Confucius said “how to know death if you don’t know how to live”, but our
Introspection is about “how to live if you don’t know death”, knowing death is not for a better life but for having more possibilities for life.
It is not about “There can be no construction without destruction “, ‘destruction’ is not for ‘construction’, it is pure, it is for ruins what we want indeed.
Aren’t ruins beautiful? At least, it is a status of beauty that very close to us but we never pay attention to.
Isn’t it the joint city one kind of ruins? Isn’t it the imaginary city one kind of ruins?
Wandering city may be the walking dead that indulge in pure self spirit not people.
Ruins can be Utopia or Heterotopias which is joint by different scattered and true space.
We can choose the way to ruins, chose the possible colors on the way, chose the style of life.
On the way, we can experience the scene of ‘ruined walls and the experience of prosperity
Ruins are around us as ‘Contradiction’, as a non-experiential way, ruins exist externally.
Abandonment, dilapidation, disorderliness exist apart from unity and integrity, that is the way ruins present.

Chapter 4 City pastoral — pastoral on the ruins

Speaking of ruins, the ‘pastoral’ comes to my mind suddenly.
Only when everything around us quiet down, the surrounding things become less, and the surrounding become invisible to us, the real ‘pastoral’ will show up when the eyes are misted ,at the time thought escape .
‘Pastoral’ may be the status when facing self-spirit, spirit and pure emptiness.
The dialogue is between me and another me, I soliloquize.
Stagnate my thought when time flows, Forget myself in thinking on another time plane.
Being Intoxicated in the disinteresting things.
‘Pastoral’ may be poetic dwelling.
Borges sings a pastoral of “The Garden of Forking Path”.
Kundra sings a pastoral of “unbearable lightness of being”.
Marquez sings a pastoral of “One Hundred Years of Solitude”.
Haruki Murakami sings pastoral of all his compositions, the ‘Pastoral’ of city ruins.

Chapter 5 Space to think

Base on two axes of people and time, we can build a space for city thinking.
The two axes are not vertical and horizontal, they are even parallel.

The traditional research is base on two axes of people and time as well,
But the “people” is abstract, overall, and conceptualize.
“Time” is single linear, it can’t be isolated and suspended.
While, the “people” in the new space of thinking are individual and differentiated, who can face god directly.
The “time” in the new space of thinking is isolated, infinitely diverge, which comes from another time of plane.

Openness is base on destruction, at the same time, destruction is the premise of supplement.
The new “space” is emerged from openness, destruction and supplement.
Broaden original boundary of cognition, destruct original background of cognition, and supply endless path of thinking will bring more links to think, supply more time slices.
Search more new base point of thinking in the gap of traditional city studies and out of traditional city studies’ realm.
The thought is to step into the unknown realms which are missing and never be confronted before.

Our thought can starts from city section (borrowed from medical science and message links of thought (borrowed from internet).
City section and message links of thought can arouse intense reading of cities.
The reading is from every part or section, and it is infinitely continuous and unpredictable.

Chapter 6 City section, city trace, city intuition

I don’t understand medical, and I don’t know the medical section can bring us on earth.
I borrow the “section” intensively.
I hope that we can find out the most subtle city trace from the thin city section.
Realizing the true reading of city is to take our thought to individual and single cognition realm what we always omit.
The minimum thickness of medical section is standard, but there is no such definition for city section. we are looking for the smaller precision. It feels like intentionality.
The city section would be too thick if it is for an unassigned person.
Therefore, maybe “the city of a pointed person” can meet the basic standard of intensive reading section.
Without definite time, the precision is not enough yet. It should be “the city of a pointed person” on April 1, 2011 at twelve o 'clock.
The infinite subdivision is not meaningless, it is more meaningful.
The thinner city section is, the more precision the city trace presents.
The orientation of isolating city will be more complex.
The branches become more and more which make the question of city form a spider's web.
Maybe that is what we pursue.

Chapter 7 Technology of Section search engine

Technology of Section engine search is a new technology on the Internet.
When we borrow the principle and apply it on city section. Compare the difference of the message, find out the useful message which is called trace.
The key is to pick the suitable section (question), related Links (contraction), and search space..
Maybe we can achieve it when working on the Internet, or to say, internet is helping us now.
The internet is broadening our sight but make us feel lonely more.