I can think of many situations where others may not be so willing to help out their "neighbors" in an emergency situation. Storms, hurricanes, floods, fires, riots, terrorist attacks... pretty much anything that affects a large number of people. I could go on for a long time with examples. The possibilities are endless. I would say in almost any emergency situation it is a very realistic possibility that people will be more concerned with themselves and their own families than with you and yours. I have been to the store trying to buy candles or batteries or matches when a hurricane is coming. People aren't grabbing the last package of matches on the shelf and then getting in checkout line and telling the person next to them "Oh here, you take these matches. Even though my family needs them, you need them too so here you go. My two year old son can just sit in the cold when the power goes out."

This head-in-the-sand mentality makes two very dangerous assumtions. First it assumes that people are going to come to your aid and that you need not be as prepared since to can count on others to give you what you need. Second it assumes that amoung those who are actually willing to help, that they will actually be prepared and equipped with what you lack and what you need and that they will not need it themselves. I'm not to saying that people in general are all selfish, and/or unprepared and refuse to help each other out or never have extra stuff that others need when there is an emergency. However it's a big gamble to bet my life and well being or that of my wife and son on the assumptions that someone else will have the stuff we lack and the stuff we need to survive and also be both willing and able to share it with us.

Furthermore, would you rather be productive member of your community and have all the gear you need to get through an emergency and perhaps even extra so you can help out others who are less prepared, or would you rather be a burden to the community and have to rely on the preparedness of others to help you out and thus be putting yourself in a situation where not only are you consuming supplies that could be used for someone else but you are also less likely to be of as much use in helping others?

This "someone else will have what I need" mentality is the absolute antithesis of preparedness!

I don't believe I ever stated that I "think you do need the same gear for urban EDC". As a matter of fact I made no comments at all about my own gear. I did however say the following:
...and yes I do carry a source of firemaking equipment as part of my urban EDC. I carry a Bic lighter in the cold months and either Bic lighter or a ferrocerium rod in the warm months. As far as water pruification equipment goes. I have carried it at times and I have omitted it at times also. Currently I carry 4 crushed MP-1 tabs, an oven bag and a tiny bit of duct tape (to repair the bag if needed) on a daily basis. In all honesty water purification equipment is something that I myself have many times questioned the usefulness of in an urban environment. That is the whole point of this thread beyond just expressing my own opinion (which is cetainly subject to change)... to get other people's opinions and the reasons behind them so I (and others) can have help in deciding what is needed and what is not.

My current Urban EDC::

Blackberry Cell Phone/PDA
Small Leather Wallet containing
-- credit card/check card/health insurance cards for me and my son/800minute phone card/driver's license/aaa card
Keys (work/home/vehicle)
Timex Expedition Watch (w/ compass)
Inova Microlight Flashlight
Bic Lighter
4 crushed MP-1 Tabs
Small Reynolds Oven Bag
12" Duct Tape
Knife or Multitool which is always one of the following:
-- BM ACFK, BM RSK, LM Wave, CRK Shadow III containing the KSK listed below)

My current Wilderness EDC:

Everything from my Urban EDC plus the following:

KSK (This is a Chris Reeve 4" Fixed Blade knife with the following items in the handle)
--------------------------------
Modified Sparklight
5 Tinderquick
1 Katadyn MP-1 Tab
1 Mini Diamond Rod Hone
1 SAS Compass

PSK (This is a wallet-sized belt pouch containing the following items)
--------------------------------
Small Black Nylon Belt Pouch
- 20' Paracord
- 2 Alcohol Pads
- 2 Anticeptic Wipes
- 2 Regular Bandaids
- 1 Large Bandaid
- 2 Strips of Medical Tape
- 2 Butterfly Sutures
- 2 Sting Relief Wipes
- 2 Blister Pads
Altoids Tin (lives inside the above-mentioned belt pouch and contains the following items)
- 2' Duct Tape
- 2 Tylenol
- 2 Anacin
- 25' 80# SPiderwire
- 45' 10# Thread
- 1 Large Oven Bag
- 1 Tojan Condom
- 1 Sterile #22 Scalpel
- 1 True North Compass
- 1 Modified ACR Whistle
- 1 Green Sparklight
- 1 Red Mini Bic
- 1 Green Bobber LED
- 1 Red Bobber LED
- 8 Katadyn MP-1 Tabs
- 8 Tinder Quick Tabs
- 4 Small Fish Hooks
- 2 SPlit Shot

As you can see there is a difference between my urban and rural EDC though I see no reason why my Rural EDC belt pouch and all of its contents would not also benefit my (and perhaps others as well) in an urban environment. For example, those fish hooks are good for a lot more than just fishing.