Qwote o'th Daye
“By the 1960’s, American values had begun to catch on – separate isolated homes and everyone driving. The city was suffering, so how could we reverse these patterns? We decided to make the public realm so attractive it would drag people back into the streets, whilst making it simultaneously difficult to go there by car.” – J. Gehl, 1992, on Copenhagens need to contain the car and increase public transit.
The idea is to organize the public works sector away from personal-vehicular dependance, and towards a system that provides activity and leasure, while supporting other means of transit (ie, public) both to and from. A good example of this in action, albeit small, is Leicester Square where you arrive at any side of the area underground, by tube. You walk up, and you are in the midst of a grand pavillion that surrounds a park replete with tall, old trees and benches. Along the outer edges are coffee shops, movie theatres (both indy and pop), restaurants of all fashions and costs, and a small circuit of pubs and bars. One more layer out, and you get a ring of asian cuisine. Police have a visible presence, but are really just information points dressed in official wear. ("excuse me, where is the toilet?" or "im supposed to meet a friend at Prince Charles Cinema, where is that?"- because of this, they are sort of a joke or the butt end of a joke.) In effect, the place operates as a self suffient mechanism providing myriad opportunity for entertainment, fast food, slow food, places for repose, energy to get you going (coffee), toilets for when you have to go, and transit for when you do go. It brings to mind the era of the grecian public talks in a place called the "agora", where minds come together- all the while lounging- talking about issues of the day. Interestingly, the leicester model is very condensed but, in theory, it could be spread out to take over a larger area of a downtown area, only allowing in two weeled transport (bicycles, motorbikes, etc) and people on foot. As this area begins to spread out- gradually reposessing more public area while car blocking poles go up- growing beyond foot access, public transit takes over as the means to travel its greater distances.
food for thought...
The idea is to organize the public works sector away from personal-vehicular dependance, and towards a system that provides activity and leasure, while supporting other means of transit (ie, public) both to and from. A good example of this in action, albeit small, is Leicester Square where you arrive at any side of the area underground, by tube. You walk up, and you are in the midst of a grand pavillion that surrounds a park replete with tall, old trees and benches. Along the outer edges are coffee shops, movie theatres (both indy and pop), restaurants of all fashions and costs, and a small circuit of pubs and bars. One more layer out, and you get a ring of asian cuisine. Police have a visible presence, but are really just information points dressed in official wear. ("excuse me, where is the toilet?" or "im supposed to meet a friend at Prince Charles Cinema, where is that?"- because of this, they are sort of a joke or the butt end of a joke.) In effect, the place operates as a self suffient mechanism providing myriad opportunity for entertainment, fast food, slow food, places for repose, energy to get you going (coffee), toilets for when you have to go, and transit for when you do go. It brings to mind the era of the grecian public talks in a place called the "agora", where minds come together- all the while lounging- talking about issues of the day. Interestingly, the leicester model is very condensed but, in theory, it could be spread out to take over a larger area of a downtown area, only allowing in two weeled transport (bicycles, motorbikes, etc) and people on foot. As this area begins to spread out- gradually reposessing more public area while car blocking poles go up- growing beyond foot access, public transit takes over as the means to travel its greater distances.
food for thought...
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