This reminds me of the controversy that has been going on in Cambridge over the destruction versus preservation of wetlands, trees, and white geese. The real Venice, of course, has real problems—it’s dirty in parts, it’s sinking, and yes, there are mosquitoes.

But Venice in Vegas is pretty perfect. Its St. Mark’s Square is a startlingly well-rendered version of the original sans the imperfections. Clean, stable, and mosquito-free, it is a well-developed exhibit and a perfect theme park.

And so the question is, who do we want to be? Who are we as a city? I thought Cambridge was a bastion of individualism, a bulwark against lockstep thinking and the disturbing uniformity it produces. But if we allow the developers to proceed unimpeded.with their current plans we will be taking a big step toward a theme-park-like ,identity, a sanitized, Vegas version of ourselves.

Memorial Drive will be straightened out, relieved of the idiosyncracies posed by its curves and trees. These will be replaced with more controlled greenways, paths and carefully positioned saplings.

Is this a walk you’d like to take? I’d prefer the authenticity that greater environmental diversity provides. And sure, the current plans would make Cambridge more convenient for some drivers, but is that who we want to be, people who choose convenience over the preservation of our dwindling natural world?

Does that mean prevent all development ? No, of course not. But development should express the character of a city. Let’s think carefully and seriously about who we are and who we want to be before we relinquish what remains of the uniqueness of our city.

Elizabeth Appleby lives at 59 Henry Street