A Walk Around the Block by Spike Carlsen

Author:Spike Carlsen
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperOne
Published: 2020-08-24T00:00:00+00:00

Healthy neighborhoods have public gathering spaces, informal places for hanging out, that welcome diversity and unique activities—like this plaza in the St. Germain area of Paris along the Seine River.

Vibrant neighborhoods have common places, public squares, and greens space where people can congregate. The authors think that 25 percent open space is a nice proportion. These spaces provide room for natural groups to naturally gather—a place where older folks sit and chat, another where dog lovers and dogs can hang out, another for yoga classes, maybe benches for quiet reading. Big wide stairs and sitting walls also magnetically beckon people to gather, chat, relax, and feel like they belong.3 Great neighborhoods have few heavily trafficked through-streets, which makes the area feel contiguous; people aren’t just “passing through.”

Healthy communities contain the basic amenities people need within easy biking or walking distance. Housing, retail stores, schools, churches, and services intermingle or are in near proximity. These communities can consist of a neighborhood, an entire city, or a group of districts stitched together; five thousand to ten thousand people is about the right size. At that scale individuals feel their voices are heard. “No citizen [should] be more than two friends away from the highest member of the local unit,” Alexander maintains. Your friend’s friend should be able to connect you with a council member or mayor so you can directly voice ideas and concerns.4

Right-scaled neighborhoods are populated by buildings that are four stories or fewer in height. They’re more human-scaled. People living “low” are more likely to spend time outdoors and intermingle with others. From three stories up people can easily distinguish faces. At ten stories, the scene below more resembles a video game; people feel detached. Residents in Glasgow tenements had a custom of flinging a slice of bread with jam to connect with those playing below; you can’t do that from a hermetically sealed space one hundred feet up.5

Great neighborhoods have walking and biking paths, with intermediate points of interest. People enjoy observing things as they commute versus just “getting there.” Points of interest can be fountains, statues, promenades, food carts, gardens, playgrounds, architecture, street musicians, graffiti, gentle curves, or changes in elevation.6 There are elements for all to enjoy. People are free to display elements that are an expression of who they are: murals on walls, public art, blocks where boulevards are planted with flowers instead of grass.

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