Writing in The Atlantic Cities, Chuck Wolfe provides ten illustrated examples of enjoyable environments that reflect an evolving recognition for the qualitative aspects of the urban experience.
Wolfe notes how several post-Recession projects focus sustainability goals on the end-user experience, rather than simply pursue flagship "green" designations. He suggests this qualitative approach remain a lynchpin of evolving urbanism, and suggests emotional "bookmarks" of experiences in cities around the world, which generally recall modern expressions of traditional urban life.
He offers illustrations of ten exemplary "bookmarks" as a useful summary of evolving human experience in the city, from wood-framed storefronts to natural-seeming water features, commercial porches and more. A particular example is a shopping street full of people:
Debates about density often lack a rich visual record of active, close-knit community. In this case, a shopping day crowd fills city spaces in a comfortable way, consistent with local culture. While not adaptable to all cities without permanent or scheduled pedestrian uses of rights-of-way, this example shows dynamic potential of which many are not otherwise aware.
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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