Inland cities

Author's name: Ghadir Al-Khunaizi

In the world of urbanism and architecture, the term "flonor" is used to describe those who traverse urban squares and spaces with a specific awareness and architectural analysis, sensing their passage through psychological and phenomenological experiences influenced by the geometric design of spaces. In his numerous books and articles, the contemporary Iraqi architect Rifat Chadirji recounted many of his journeys, during which he "went aimlessly" by car or on foot, contemplating the facades of buildings in Baghdad and the Arab and Western cities he visited and lived in. He would certainly have used the term "flonor" had it been within his cognitive scope, but he intuitively grasped it and used it as a tool for framing, analysis, and theorizing. Since becoming acquainted with this term in my contemporary architecture class, I have held the Sufi view: "He who tastes knows, and he who knows draws." I love the act of loitering—spending time aimlessly wandering the streets and public spaces, alert and amazed at the city's phenomena. I consider loitering an extension of my specialty and a practical application of it. As a "flanoise" who has loitered over the past years in Manama, Paris, and Minneapolis, unaware of the term, its history, and even its affiliation, I can say that this intuition—like Chadirji's—is a joy.