the social life of small urban spaces
and who sits where
yesterday we watched the social life of small urban spaces (william h. whyte). it’s people moving through plazas and sidewalks - some stop, some don’t; some sit alone, some sit in groups; some stay around the edges.
the part that’s sticking with me is seating - where it is and how much of it there is.
a chair or a ledge changes a whole space. it changes who can stop without feeling in the way. it changes whether the space works for someone who isn’t there to spend money.
a few years ago i had a client in the educational-furniture world, and it permanently changed how i notice chairs and benches. the object can be small, but the impact usually isn’t.
watch
if you’re into
- public/urban space
- human behavior
- design choices you can see playing out in real time
this one is worth the hour :-)
