Slowing the City

Hello Folks - sorry for the hiatus there. Things got busy with diagnostic exams at the end of the spring semester, and teaching a statistics course during the first summer session. But let's kick off the summer blog season right now! Also, keep a look out for a post or two on urban renewal projects in Beijing by a current resident of that city, Tyler C. 


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I like to think that an important part of our everyday urban experience is our familiarity with the material - the cracks, curves, and colors of the landscape we move through.

30 mph driving, 15 biking, 6 running, 3 walking, 0 sitting.

Speeding through the city in our car limits our ability to accumulate information - to experience our place.  But traveling through the same space more slowly might tell a different story - one which can dramatically complicate our impressions of an unfamiliar area. 

Walking to Hertel Ave. the other day I thought about a book I read a while ago on mobility and motion - and thought I'd pass on the reference. Tim Cresswell's On the Move: Mobility in the Modern Western World is a well written, easy to read 'academic' stroll through the history of movement and spaces in the west.  What I found most appealing is its discussion of how simple movements of the human body helped shape the social and economic landscape we presently inhabit.






On a related note, I wanted to share this link a friend sent to me. It calculates a 'walkability' score for your address by searching for nearby restaurants, grocery stores, public transportation, entertainment opportunities, parks, etc. What's your score?

http://www.walkscore.com/