Connection - The Path
 
Thesis
    Statement
    Concepts
    inspirations
    connection
       introduction
       sundial
       windmill
       waterwheel
       a planted tree
       footbridges
       dragon
       the path
       conclusion
    vocabulary
    Precedents
    Site
    Programme
    Scratch Pad

EcoResearch

Bibliography

Portfolio


    Being on foot and experiencing a city at walking speed gives us the opportunity to appreciate details and observe our surroundings.  It begins to connect us with the city and our sense of being within it.  Encouraging pedestrian traffic over automobiles reduces noise and air pollution.  It humanises our sidewalks with activity and even provides the opportunity for chance encounters with other people.

In Esmeralda, city of water, a network of canals and a network of streets span and intersect each other.  To go from one place to another you have always the choice between land and boat:  and since the shortest distance between two points in Esmeralda is not a straight line but a zigzag that ramifies in tortuous optional routes, the ways that open to each passerby are never two, but many, and they increase further for those who alternate a stretch by boat with one on dry land. (Calvino, pg. 88)

    Variety of path and urban experience enriches our sense of place and makes our cities more enjoyable.  Having a multiple selection of interesting paths lets us choose different routes for different occasions:  for example, shady on hot days, covered on rainy days, bustling on social days, quiet on pensive days, efficient on busy days, etc.  This experience is also about seeing.  Seeing the many opportunities and choices in our urban environment and seeing ourselves.  Our choices reflect how we are feeling at that particular point in time.  This is a very self-informing relationship. 
    The path takes us through the city, takes us through ourselves, and guides us for the rest of our lives.  Streets can be designed at a human scale and narrow enough to create a sense of security and link between activities on both sides.  Mixed-use development on commercial streets keeps them animated for more hours of the day and provides for social interactions and chance meetings.  Quiet residential streets could encourage owners to keep interesting gardens.  The gardens do not need to be large; in fact, small front yards that border a street are easier to maintain and provide chances for small interventions.  These gardens help cool the city in the summer and they provide both owners and users a chance to watch them progress from spring, through summer, and finally to sleep in the autumn.  Being encouraged to connect to our paths and experience the passage is a vital part of good urban design.