Starting with Sidewalks is the Key to Creating the Social Life We Want
we found and learned from some truly wonderful examples of small-town social life, and it is these glimmers of hope that can lay the foundation for new attention to public spaces in smaller communities.
Montague Street has a tired, old, not cared for feeling. There are multiple empty storefronts, uncared for buildings, limited to no seating, few places to gather, weak entranceways, few outdoor cafes, limited restaurant experience. All this was greatly impacted by the pandemic.
Areas around Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut exploded with social life this past summer and fall — coming alive in spite of COVID-19 — we couldn't help but notice and be reminded of our work there, years ago.
As "in-between" spaces, porches create a soft edge that mediates between individual and community, public and private, and in these times, offer a safe way to maintain our social, mental and physical health.
Rich street life is no frill. It is an expression of the most ancient function of a city—a place for people to come together, all kinds of people, face-to-face. — William "Holly" Whyte
Cities were “an invention to maximise exchange and minimise travel”...I am fascinated about, "How the design of the public realm impacts the quality of social, cultural and civic life."
