As a lifelong urbanite, I’ve always felt comfortable learning cities “by Braille.” I put on my walking shoes and wander, making mental maps as I go. I experience serendipity, yet can generally intuit where things are likely to be – the CBD, the government center, nightlife.This summer our family spent time in Berlin, Venice, Florence, and Paris. Of the four, Paris was the only one I’d been to before. By the time we got there, it was like greeting an old friend.
As a lifelong urbanite, I've always felt comfortable learning cities "by Braille." I put on my walking shoes and wander, making mental maps as I go. I experience serendipity, yet can generally intuit where things are likely to be – the CBD, the government center, nightlife.
This summer our family spent time in Berlin, Venice, Florence, and Paris. Of the four, Paris was the only one I'd been to before. By the time we got there, it was like greeting an old friend.
Berlin is a fantastic city for many reasons, a remarkable blend of modern sophistication and livability. I also "grokked" it – navigating the city was easy, in no small part because of its terrific public transit and very walkable neighborhoods.But deeper than that, the city made sense to me at a visceral level.
Venice was harder, but I experienced it spatially as a puzzle. As we got lost in alleys three cobblestones wide, I contemplated both the audacity of building such a place and how different the medieval mind must have been. If cities are concretization of place and time, then Venice seemed farther removed from my daily experience than any place I'd encountered in India or Latin America.
Then we came to Florence, and for the first time I was confronted with a place that I couldn't comprehend. The square on which our apartment was located – Santo Spirito – was lovely, with a daily market that changed subtly with the days of the week. The rest of the city, however, felt like a museum of itself. Most Florentines live in the suburbs, having abandoned the city proper to the hoards of tourists who descend upon it each summer. For those who come to worship at the temple of Dante or take in art at the Uffizi until they go cross-eyed, Florence is a rich place. And certainly Tuscan food and wine are sufficient distraction for anyone. Yet for those of us who travel to experience place, Florence is disappointing.
Arriving in Paris felt as though we had come back through the looking glass. It was legible; I could find my way once again. I still had my sight, but more importantly, my sense of touch was returned to me.
What makes places legible for you?
Too Much of a Good Thing? 5 Flavors of Overtourism
Popular travel destinations across the world are facing a huge challenge as international tourism surpasses pre-pandemic levels: too many visitors. But what’s driving this troublesome trend?
But... Europe
European cities and nations tend to have less violent crime than the United States. Is government social welfare spending the magic bullet that explains this difference?
Paris Is Great, But Here's Where the Green Mobility Revolution Is Happening
A movement toward sustainable mobility is taking place across Europe, not just in the City of Lights.
What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.
The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan
Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.
Healing Through Parks: Altadena’s Path to Recovery After the Eaton Fire
In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena is uniting to restore Loma Alta Park, creating a renewed space for recreation, community gathering, and resilience.
San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule
The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.
Electric Vehicles for All? Study Finds Disparities in Access and Incentives
A new UCLA study finds that while California has made progress in electric vehicle adoption, disadvantaged communities remain underserved in EV incentives, ownership, and charging access, requiring targeted policy changes to advance equity.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
