Republic City

Republic City, the capital of the United Republic, is a large metropolis located on the shores of Yue Bay in the lower areas of a mountainous region. The city was founded by Fire Lord Zuko and Avatar Aang after the end of the War as a settlement housing people from all four nations. A modern urban center, it has significant high-rise development, notable technological advancements, and use of automobiles, motorcycles, and airships widespread.

Republic City is home to a variety of iconic landmarks. These include an island with a massive statue of Avatar Aang looking out over the bay, which was a gift from the Fire Nation to stand as a symbol of peace and goodwill, a downtown station, a large and popular city park, suspension bridges, and skyscrapers. The police force, led by Chief Lin Beifong, utilizes metalbending to keep the city under control. The vast metropolis is also known to harbor pro-bending matches, which is the city's number one form of sporting activity.

During the youth of Avatar Korra, Republic City was suffering from high levels of crime, and an anti-bender revolt led by the Equalists.

History
In the aftermath of the Hundred Year War, Team Avatar, led by Avatar Aang and Fire Lord Zuko, came to an agreement with Earth King Kuei on the establishment of a Harmony Restoration Movement which aimed to return Fire Nation colonies to the control of the Earth Kingdom. One of the consequences of this action was the removal of Fire Nation citizens from the settlements they had created over the past century. This order of removal had considerable negative demographic consequences not considered by any of the parties to the agreement. A year into the the operation of the movement, Zuko withdrew his support after being accused of being a traitor, precipitating a confrontation with his friend, the Avatar.

After a narrow avoidance of war, Aang and Zuko eventually resolved this impasse by reforming the Fire Nation colonies into a fifth nation separate from the original four. This new nation would be a society where anyone from around the world would be able to reside in, and would be governed by a council with representatives from each of the four nations. They named this new nation the United Republic of Nations and established as its capital Republic City at a location in the northwestern Earth Kingdom.



With the resources of all four nations, Republic City developed rapidly over the next seventy years. Despite being a city directly established for political considerations rather than an evolution of an original settlement, its population and sophistication increased beyond reasonable expectation. As of 170 ASC, however, Republic City has begun to experience demographic and political problems as a direct consequence of its nature as a large city. Wealth inequality and organized crime are now rampant and an anti-bending revolution is imminent.

Cityscape


In contrast to the other major cities of the Earth, Republic City is a true modern urban center. The city has developed the architectural sophistication to construct taller buildings, and there is significant high-rise development. Stylistically, the city generally incorporates traditional ornamentation with far more advanced structural techniques, but there are some departures from what is considered traditional, such as City Hall and the Bending Arena. Despite this, there are still landmarks in the traditional style, such as Air Temple Island.

City Hall


The City Hall is a center for governance in Republic City, and is also a venue for public press conferences and gatherings, with a large square before its front doors. It is here that the new Avatar, Korra, made her maiden official appearance. While the public building has an entrance typical of traditional architecture from the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation, its distinctive features, a large dome and four corner towers, is certainly a new style developed after the War.

Air Temple Island


Located in Yue Bay, Air Temple Island is the home of Tenzin and his family, and is therefore residence of one of the most powerful governing figures of Republic City. The temple was originally built by Avatar Aang himself. Comprised of several structures, including a large tower, several smaller buildings with blue roofs, and an open practice area, the Air Temple Island is home to Tenzin, his wife Pema, and their three children Jinora, Ikki, and Meelo.

Police headquarters


The police headquarters, often referred to simply as "Headquarters", is the base of operations for the metalbending police, and is where criminals and misfits in Republic City are taken in for arrest. The architecture of the police headquarters is comparable to that of standard Earth Kingdom buildings, with both the exterior and the interior being largely geometrical in design. Headquarters is overseen by Chief Lin Beifong, who firmly believes in military strength and is displeased at the challenge to her authority represented by Korra's arrival.

Aang's statue


Aang's statue is a massive sculpture of Avatar Aang created by the Fire Nation some years after the end of the War for display in the bay of Republic City, where it would stand as a symbol of peace and goodwill. It depicts an older Aang donned in traditional Air Nomad attire, with the accompanying necklace he wore when Fire Lord Zuko announced the War's end at his coronation. Air Temple island is nearby.

City park


Typical of other public construction achievements in Republic City, the city park is also on a large scale. Located in the city center peninsula, the city park is landscaped, with small hills, deciduous trees shading impeccably kept grass, and fine stone arch bridges. Unfortunately, due to the poverty of a large number of Republic City citizens, the city park has also become a place popular with vagabonds such as the hobo Korra meets soon after her initial arrival in the city.

Bending Arena


Pro-bending is the most popular sport in Republic City, and official pro-bending matches are held in the city's Bending Arena. As a testimony of the sport's popularity, this building has a gold-like appearance and is lit at night, making its grandness visible to all. The building is capacious enough to hold the pro-bending ring on which the contestants battle, a large pool of water far below the ring, and a multitude of spectators.

Demographics


The population of Republic City is large by world standards, and the mass influx of immigrants from the four nations has caused considerable demographic challenges. The foremost of these challenges is inequality: the gap in wealth is considerable. Newcomers to the city appear unaware of these phenomena – the Avatar herself believed its citizens to all be "living it up" and is shocked to discover vagabonds in the city park – and thus they are presented with a considerable surprise upon their arrival. With these difficult conditions, the populace seems ready to be stirred into a revolt against the perceived bending elite. A protester expends relatively little effort in arousing anger in a crowd against an annoyed Korra.

Organized crime also appears to be very common in Republic City. Gangs such as the Triple Threat Triad lay claim to certain districts of the city, which they term "territories". In these areas, the control of triads appears to be considerable, with shopkeepers forced to pay them in order to secure their safety. This power over local business is significant considering the regular and frequent airship patrols by the city's police forces.

Transportation


The use of modern transportation methods such as automobiles, motorcycles, and airships is widespread in Republic City. The city also has invested considerable in advanced transportation infrastructure, with feats of engineering such as a elevated mass transit system and several suspension bridges connecting the city center with its outlying districts.

Trivia

 * The concept of Republic City is inspired by several real world past and present locations. This includes Shanghai circa 1920s, Hong Kong, and Western cities such as New York and Vancouver. In particular, the giant Aang statue, the huge park, and the bridge are definitely inspired by the Statue of Liberty, Central Park, and the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City.
 * The rapid urbanization and technological advances of the World of Avatar mirrors that of the past hundred years in the real world, in which automobiles, towering buildings, trolleys, and other great engineering feats have come to be.
 * Republic City is roughly analogous to New York in the sense that it was founded by colonies, then separated from the homeland, and then became a combination of all races and cultures.
 * The park in Republic City also resembles the Hyde Park in London, with its "Speaker's Corner", where anyone can stand up and speak to the public. In the Republic City park, a man is speaking to the public with a megaphone about the Equalists' views against benders.