Strangely enough, whereas in the past the inhabitants of one street all knew each other, nowadays people on the same floor in tower blocks don't even say hello to each other.
But in recent years people have set their sights on the more distant past, when Europe's forests were filled with elephants, rhinoceroses and big cats.
The decline of Europe's forests over the last decade and a half has led to an increasing awareness and understanding of the serious imbalances which threaten them.
Compared with the past, today's city has changed greatly, the streets are busy and row upon row of skyscrapers are everywhere. 24-hour cities with bright lights are sleepless.