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Archive for the ‘Density’ Category

La “Huerta” (Valencia-style)

Posted in Cities, Culture, Density, Food (Security), New Urbanism, Spain, Sustainability Planning, Valencia on August 30, 2011 | 1 Comment »

Victor + JFL

My wonderful friend Victor is a Valenciano, born and raised.  He is also one of my favourite things about Valencia.

Kind, generous, intelligent, and funny (assuming I translated his jokes correctly), he welcomed both JFL and I into his home and his circle of friends.  We met through a local language exchange, but our informal meeting quickly developed into a solid friendship – now he’s stuck with us for life, because I do visit (see: last year).

He is one of the good guys.

It is also through Victor that I came to understand some peculiarities about Spanish vs. Canadian culture.  Here are two examples that particularly stand out:

Space & Distance

  • Victor lives with his girlfriend in the family home (sans family) – a beautiful traditional farmhouse just outside the city limits, or as Victor says, “in the country.”  Over the course of the year he generously picked us up many times to drive us over for meals or social gatherings, noting how far away it was and the fact that we didn’t have a car.  Funny thing is, at the end of the year while staying with Victor before we returned home, we discovered that there is a local bus nary a 6 minute walk from his door, that drops you off in the centre of the city.  Couldn’t be easier.  In fact, this bus runs more often than most Vancouver buses, which made us feel awful about having him chauffeur us the many times that he did.

La Huerta

This anecdote taught us that the Spanish definition of “country” and “far” are very different from the Canadian perception.  While indeed Victor lives in the middle of small agricultural plots that have been farmed for many centuries, there are also all the urban amenities that one could imagine (e.g. grocery store, post office, bakery, hardware store, restaurant) within a 5 minute walk.

WALK.

That is not “country” in Canada.  In Canada country means driving for an hour on your tractor to get back to the farmhouse having never left your property.  Which speaks to the European perception of space and distance, completely contrary to the North American perception.  Interesting cultural difference.

In The Kitchen

  • Spaniards don’t bake.  Which is confusing, because there are bakeries on practically every corner, but just try to find some basic ingredients in the grocery store and you’ll feel like Indiana Jones on a crusade for the last bottle of vanilla in the city.  And don’t even try to borrow a mixer as nobody has one in their kitchen (they do have jamón holders galore).  Which means that Spaniards also don’t know the difference between butter and margarine when it comes to baking (in fact they often bake with oil).  For those who do bake, you know that this is the critical difference between mouth-watering goodness and a disappointing cookie that will make Valencianos think that Canadians have strange gastronomic sensibilities.  Which is exactly what happened when Victor purchased margarine instead of butter for our group gingerbread cookies (something they had never heard of).

Cookies

Disaster.

While the team had more than enough fun decorating them (a total novelty for our friends who had never made cookies… or icing… or baked at home), they were not so fond of eating them.  Upon tasting the cookies there was a series of polite, forced smiles noting that “maybe Canadian cookies are different.”

Sigh.

While I might have been confused on these two matters, I’m certain that Victor himself is pure gold and I can’t wait to host him in Vancouver where we will drive (more than 15 minutes) to get to the countryside where we can gorge on cookies and practice our spanglish.

Gracias amigo.

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Orgullo Madrid

Posted in Cities, Culture, Density, Public Spaces, Recreation, Spain on August 3, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

Don't be a drag, be a Queen!

Pride celebrations around the world are notoriously happy events.  Think Glee characters only with more alcohol and less clothing (just as much singing and dancing).  Colourful, bright, full of warm fuzzy feelings and loud personalities (see: drag queens, leather kings and tattoos everywhere), they are some of the best parties I have ever attended.

Therefore it stood to reason that Spanish pride (aka orgullo), would be A-MAZING.

You see, the Spanish practically invented fiesta.  After almost 40 years of a repressive dictatorship (that was all “I hate art/freedom/women”), the Spanish immediately started celebrating at the end of Franco’s rule in 1975… and they simply never stopped.

And when the Spanish party, it’s never a one-day event.

JFL has a "mini"

No no, a minimum of a week, preferably three, for Spanish fiesta is the stuff that legend is made of.  In fact, you can find a unique regional celebration in almost every small town in this big ol’  country.  From the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona to La Tomatina in Buñol, be warned, Spanish partying can get messy.

So of course we had to check out Madrid pride.

With a large gaybourhood (La Chueca) located in the centre of the city, Madrid boasts a populated and visible queer community.  Despite their catholic roots, Spain has a very liberal attitude towards los gays.  In fact, Spain legalized gay marriage in 2005, two weeks before Canada did – impresionante, no?

And yes indeed, Madrid Pride lived up to the expectations.

Rainbows abound in La Chueca.

Let’s start with the fact that about 8 city blocks are blocked off for pedestrian-only traffic.  During the early evening the streets are filled with people of all ages and gender identifications, but by 2am they become jam-packed, at which point all diversity statistics fade into a blur of drunken revelry.

It’s possible that all the gay people IN THE WORLD were in Madrid.  Well, that’s how it felt.

And what makes a street party so much fun??  Aside from the energy, the ease of transport, the people-watching, the safety factor… you can also drink in the streets.  And if you don’t want to partake in one of the many of street stands offering “mini” cervezas and mojitos (think dinosaur sized), you are welcome to bring your own drinks in, provided there are no glass bottles.  Fantastic!  If you have forgotten your nalgene bottle, a courteous police officer will kindly offer you a plastic glass at no charge.

Viva España!

Blurry Silent Rave

While the utterly boring ‘parade’ was a let-down (floats had ten minutes of empty space between each other), the rest was not.  With five separate stages located around the neighbourhood, there was everything from a string of drag queen performances to a silent rave.

What’s a silent rave you ask?

Well, contrary to everything I know about Spain, the local municipality enforced organizers to reduce noise levels in deference to neighbours complaints.  While this might seem reasonable in most countries, in my experience Spain has rarely been reasonable when it comes to noise.  So, partiers were invited to download a free application on their smartphone, or tune in to a local radio frequency, to hear the live DJ… who was emitting no audible sound.  The result was a strange scene of dancing maniacs and confused onlookers.

Of course the four other stages blasted music until dawn.  La plus ca change…

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The Curious Case of Christiania

Posted in Cities, Denmark, Density, Public Spaces, Sustainability Planning on July 30, 2011 | 1 Comment »

Welcome to Christiania

Have you ever felt like you wanted to create your own city?

That’s exactly what the residents of Christiania did.  A self-proclaimed autonomous ‘neighbourhood’ with over 1000 residents, it covers 34 hectares in the centre of Copenhagen, Denmark.  Set in a beautiful parkland full of meandering green paths and quiet waterways, these anarchists snagged a particularly pretty corner of Copenhagen.

Clever anarchists.

Of course a green agenda has always been central to their manifesto.  As part of their commitment to the environment, the city attempts to maintain a car-free community.  However, under pressure from the Copenhagen authorities (due to the fact that residents do own cars), Christiania agreed to establish parking areas for residents’ own cars on its territory.  Still parking areas are very limited and resident only rules are strictly enforced.

But this is no Sim City.

Originally envisioned as a city ruled by its inhabitants, Christiania has gone through many iterations over her 40+ year history.  It all started in 1969 when a group of locals knocked down the fence that blocked off an old military area.  The neighbourhood became the centre of an anarchy movement promoting freedom and communal living.  Over the first few years the people of Christiania fought the police repeatedly.  In 1972 the residents came to an arrangement with the government and agreed to pay for electricity and water, a point of pride among local residents that ‘validates’ their right to live there.

Pick your poison

Currently the area has a unique status in that it is regulated by the Christiania Law of 1989 which transfers parts of the supervision of the area from the municipality of Copenhagen to the state.  Since this time Christiania has continued to re-invent itself, though at its core remains the commitment to a self-regulated authority.  To this end the community has always experimented with creating a society “built on a large degree of active participatory democracy dedicated to individual freedom and self-fulfillment.”

Funnily enough this ‘anarchic governance structure’  (I know, right?), looks strangely like a miniature version of more common governance systems  with regular meetings including the Common Meeting, Treasurer’s Meeting, Building Meeting, House Meetings etc.  All residents are invited to participate at these meetings and the distribution of money is decided at the annual budget Common Meeting, which typically turns into a series of meetings as a balance is rarely agreed upon in the first meeting.

So yes, it’s different, in that the Government of Canada (or Vancouver for that matter) has never asked me to vote on a budget directly (and I have some suggestions).

All of which makes for a fascinating case study… if it weren’t for ye olde potheads dominating the aptly named “Pusher Street.”  Yep, the cornerstone of every free society, Christiania has become a magnet for the drug trade.  While the community has pushed back strongly against “hard drugs”, pot in its many forms flourishes in the centre of Christiania.  While the use of hash remains illegal in Denmark, the authorities turn a blind eye to the flourishing trade in Christiania which attracts locals and tourists alike.

Sneaky photo accounts for the poor quality.

While I don’t have a problem with the legalization of marijuana (even though personally I am not a user, I see alcohol as infinitely more harmful), existing in the pseudo-legal environment of Christiania has created an unpleasant environment.  Walking through the centre of town, large burly men with intimidating tattoos and snarly faces dominate the space, creating an uncomfortable vibe for those of us there to explore the ‘freedom’ of the community.

Perhaps my impression of these fine gentleman was influenced by the fact that Swedish friends (a 65 year-old man and his two daughters) visiting Christiania the week prior, were viciously attacked by locals who were upset that the father took a photo of his daughters at a cafe within the grounds.  So they jumped him and beat him so that he had to go to the hospital – disgusting.

But a strong incentive for me not to take any photos within the grounds… viva freedom?

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Cycletopia

Posted in Architecture, Culture, Cycling, Denmark, Density, New Urbanism, Public Spaces, Public Transportation, Recreation, Sustainability Planning on July 27, 2011 | 4 Comments »

Traffic jam

Among cyclists, Copenhagen has long been considered the promised land.  With almost 40% of citizens regularly commuting to work by bicycle, over 1.1 million kilometers are ridden every day.

This is likely the secret to Scandinavian beauty.

And to be clear, this is no weather paradise.  While admittedly, it is both flat and compact, it is still a northern city characterized by cold winters where the temperatures regularly dip below zero and it snows.

So what’s our excuse Canada?

Well, actually it’s not really our fault.  The big difference is that local government in Copenhagen has invested heavily in cycling infrastructure over the years.  With over 100 km of bike lanes and 22 different routes in the city, cyclists are considered (almost) as important as drivers.  And unlike the white paint which sometimes passes for cycling infrastructure, bicycle lanes are often separated from the main traffic lanes and have their own signal systems.

Cycletopia.

Family planning

As a foreigner unaccustomed to such sights, I couldn’t help but gawk at the onslaught of cyclists dominating the roadways.  From teenagers to grandmothers, to families carrying their children (and groceries, furniture, pets) in carts, cycling in Copenhagen is the norm rather than the exception.

And no, they don’t wear helmets.

However studies have demonstrated that the safety provided through the increased visibility that results from a large number of cyclists, can outweigh the benefits of fewer riders with helmets.  While no one disputes that wearing a helmet is safer, ultimately getting more people on bikes is even safer, and often helmet laws act as a deterrent to that goal.

Counter intuitive, but true.

Windmills

Of course the Danes have long been reputed for their commitment to the environment.  Crossing the transnational Øresund Bridge from Sweden you are surrounded on either side by imposing white windmills that tower out the sea, providing almost 20% of Denmark’s electricity.

In fact, the canal water is so clean that those clever Danes have even built a free public pool INSIDE THE CANAL.  While the jellyfish initially deterred me (they are apparently harmless), I eventually took the plunge and was decidedly, errr, ‘refreshed’.  The perfect ending to a day biking around the city.

Copenhagen – where hipster fashionistas meet environmental sensibilities.

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Waterworld (Venetian Style)

Posted in Architecture, Cities, Culture, Density, Italy, Sustainability Planning on July 1, 2011 | 1 Comment »

Just passing by...

Remember that horrible movie starring Kevin Costner where he developed gills and shot at pirates and everybody moved around on boats and it seemed like it would never end?

That’s not what Venice is like at all.

Despite being one of the most touristy destinations in the world, Venice manages to retain its quiet charm and the inevitable romance of a city built on water.  I mean come on, I dare you to yawn while wandering around the quiet back-street canals, meandering over small wrought iron bridges, and watching Venetians hang their laundry out to dry.

It’s a city built on WATER!

And among the throngs of zip-off khaki-pants (the personal bane of my existence) and camera lenses, there is a genuine community of people who go about their daily tasks that seldom involve donning the elaborate Venetian masks on display to attend a grand masquerade.  Well, maybe once a year at Carnival.

Which makes me wonder about the mundane planning challenges of a city built on water…

Reflections...

Bigger than you might think, the city stretches across 117 small islands in the saltwater Venetian Lagoon along the Adriatic Sea in northeast Italy.  With a population of around 60,000 in the historic centre, this is a dense community crammed with buildings that appear to float magically upon the water.

In fact most buildings are constructed on closely spaced wood piles, which under water (in the absence of oxygen), does not decay.  Rather it is petrified as a result of the constant flow of mineral-rich water around and through it, so that it becomes a stone-like structure (those clever Venetians!).  The piles penetrate a softer layer of sand and mud until they reach the much harder layer of compressed clay.  Incredibly, most of these piles are still intact after centuries of submersion.

Conclusion: building inspections must be a bitch.

However Venice is still under threat of sinking entirely.

Laundry day

Originally caused by artesian wells built in the 20th century, the practice has since been banned.  Yet the city remains threatened by frequent low-level floods that rise to a height of several centimetres over its quays, regularly following certain tides.  In many old houses the former staircases used to unload goods are now flooded, rendering the former ground floor uninhabitable.

While some recent studies have suggested that Venice is no longer sinking, JFL didn’t want to take any chances and insisted we make haste this summer.  So we did.

And fell in love with the art (Venice Biennale!), the food (umm, it’s Italy), the architecture (it’s built on WATER!) and the ambiance of a unique city in this small world of ours.

A small sampling of a true waterworld.

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“That’s Amore…”

Posted in Culture, Density, Food (Security), Indigenous People, Italy, Sustainability Planning on June 18, 2011 | 5 Comments »

It's a little bit messy...

“When, the, moon hits your eye, like a big pizza pie, that’s amoreeeeee.”

I love food.

Tasting the diverse culinary offerings within Europe is one of the best parts of travelling, and sometimes it feels like I’m doing the food tour of Europe.  Which is educational, delicious and slimming.

Okay, that last one is a lie.

Anyhoo, when my good Italian (and recently Canadian) friend Babs (aka Barbara Lelj), invited us to come and visit in her native Napoli, it was a resounding YES PLEASE!  Home of the pizza, and centuries of Italian nonnas stomping tomatoes with their feet in order to ensure the freshness of their pasta sauce, it was the right thing to do.

The only thing that could make it better?

White waters

Taking the ferry over to the famous isle of Capri, home to celebrity vacations, crystal clear blue waters and posh hotels, to indulge in some of their local epicurean specialties.  Fresh tangy olive oil, limoncello made from obese yellow lemons, and of course most of you will be familiar with the internationally renowned Caprese salad.  A simple dish made of sliced creamy buffalo mozzarella, bursting ripe red tomatoes, garden-fresh basil, and seasoned with salt, pepper, and olive oil, this world-famous starter originated in Capri.  Hence Caprese

Did I mention that Babs’ family has a villa in Capri?  Because they do.

Thus we spent a wonderful week with Babs and her adorable children who tutored us in the art of eating gelato (see more pictures below).  Julia is two and a half and Geoffrey is six months, and they are both incontestably adorable.  And fans of Italian food (well, mostly Julia).

Which got me thinking, why is it that Italians are so good at growing food?!

Those are real local lemons. Size matters.

Capri is a dense little island built along sheer rock cliffs whose steep, curvy roads inspire fear every time you take the tiny buses that wind their way up the mountain at neck-breaking speeds.  Yet everywhere you look there are fruit trees, micro-vineyards, produce gardens and herbs growing.  Edible art, that not only provides local food security but ensures high-quality deliciousness for visitors like myself.

No patch of land was too small to grow something, and in addition to providing food, it creates a beautiful patchwork of green spaces across the island.

In North American urban centres there are growing food movements encouraging people to turn their ornamental lawns into productive food gardens, something the Italians have been doing for centuries.  The solution to this mess?  More municipal staff field trips to Italy.  Obviously.

Julia and I highly recommend the local gelato.

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The Separation of Bike and Man

Posted in Cycling, Density, New Urbanism, Public Spaces, Spain, Sustainability Planning, Valencia on April 28, 2011 | 3 Comments »

Granada grafitti

As your typical west-coast, mountain-loving, tea-drinking, world-changing leftist, I am, of course, a cyclist.

I’m sure you’ve heard all the arguments: it’s healthier, more affordable, safer (for those in cars), but most importantly, bike-riding comes with a built-in soapbox that allows one to gloat because of your environmental superiority and carbon-neutral transport choices… if I conveniently forget about all of my plane trips this year.

Not important.

What I’m trying to say is that biking is a wonderful urban transport option, and this is especially true in Valencia.  Flat, relatively compact, and bikeable all year long, Valencia would appear to be a bikers haven.

The city has even gotten on board, building bike lanes that range from demarcated lines painted on generous sidewalks, to separated sunken lanes between the sidewalk and the road.

Unfortunately they are completely ignored.

Which is infuriating.

Bike Lane

In Vancouver we fight for good bike lanes, recognizing that they are essential pieces of infrastructure in the new urbanism movement… but they only work when there is a culture that respects said bike lane.

Pedestrians, strollers, and four-legged friends do not mix with bikes, and it can get ugly.  I can’t count the number of times that I have been casually riding along the bike lane, making a conscious effort to stay within ‘my space’, when a family of four decides to stroll into my lane and then stop to have a chat about their jamón purchases (or, whatever).

In the words of the infamous Peñalosa (guru of all things biking and walking): bikes and pedestrians don’t mix.

Though to be fair it is not just pedestrians who ignore these rules.  Cyclists also bike all over the sidewalks, weaving in and out of pedestrians, and generally create two-wheeled chaos for those who are not moving at the same clip (severely impacting our ability to gloat, might I add).

Wholesome family fun!

Again: bikes and pedestrians don’t mix.

Yet, when the problem is not a lack of infrastructure, what do you do?

Biking in Valencia has only recently become trendy (no doubt assisted by the newly opened Valenbisi bikeshare system).  Perhaps people are not aware of bike lanes and a critical mass is required to develop a consciousness around sharing the space.  You certainly wouldn’t dare step inside a bike lane in Amsterdam (where over 60% of residents are bike commuters), for fear of losing your leg.  Do numbers talk?

An interesting dilemma for us sustainability planners that demonstrates why infrastructure doesn’t work without social planning considerations (small plug for my continued existence).  How do we design from a human centred perspective so that our built environment actually works beyond a theoretical perspective?

Let me think about it while I go for a ride…

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The UN Called…

Posted in Density, New Urbanism, Sustainability Planning, United Nations on April 12, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

General Assembly

The United Nations is a complicated beast.

Gigantic, political, underfunded and horribly bureaucratic (and thus consistently criticized), the UN characterizes what Winston Churchill once said about democracy, that it is the worst form of governance… except for every other kind.

For that reason, if we hope to tackle any of the serious transnational issues that exist in the world, like it or not, we need an intergovernmental body.

The UN is that (beastly) body.

For the last two years I have been working with UN-Habitat, the commission that deals with global human settlement issues in our rapidly urbanizing world.  Don’t know what I’m talking about?

In 1950, one-third of the world’s people lived in cities.  Just 50 years later, this rose to one-half, and this number will continue to grow to two-thirds, or 6 billion people, by 2050.  Cities are now home for more than half of the global population which has an impact on everything from housing to land rights, and resource distribution to social inclusion.  Urbanization is quickly becoming the issue of the 21st century.

Which makes me, as an urban planner, really, really, important.  And maybe UN-Habitat.

YAB members

More fun statistics: a high proportion of the world’s population is under 25 years old and the majority (almost 85%) of the world’s youth live in developing countries.  Which makes youth (in addition to my humble self) very important stakeholders in urban sustainability.

Fortuitously UN-Habitat recognized this and established a Youth Advisory Board (YAB) to consult on strategies to engage young people in sustainable urbanization and urban development.  The Board was officially launched at the 22 Second Session of the UN-HABITAT Governing Council in April 2009… which is around when “I got the call.”

Lacking North American representation (YAB consists of 2 representatives from each of the 6 global regions),  I was invited to come to the Governing Council and support the YAB as a result of my work with UNA-Canada.

There I met a dynamic group of young people (youth is defined as 18-32 in Kenya… ain’t that grand!) who are all committed to a more sustainable world.  A beautiful relationship was born and we have spent the last 2 years working closely together to further the youth agenda both within UN-Habitat and in our respective regions.

Two years later I find myself back in Nairobi, networking with diplomats at the 23rd Governing Council, with an eerie sense of déjà vu.  Everything feels strangely familiar… except that this time I know to avoid the salad bar in the cafeteria.

There is nothing diplomatic about vegetables washed in local water.

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I May Have Sidewalk Rage

Posted in Cities, Culture, Density, Public Spaces, Spain on March 29, 2011 | 2 Comments »

I’m not sure if this is a diagnosable condition, but I am exhibiting some disturbing symptoms:

  • Lack of patience
  • Short fuse
  • An irrepressible urge to push people over

As I have yet to find a cure, the prognosis is not good.

The Dev is keen on polite pedestrian behaviour.

And the root of this illness?  On what seems like a daily basis, I am forced to deal with people who are not interested in sharing the superb pedestrian spaces designed by their friendly neighbourhood planner.  And it enrages me.

I am of course referring to sidewalks and other walking paths – seemingly simple pieces of infrastructure that shouldn’t require a set of instructions.  However I ask you, if I am jogging on the outside of the sidewalk (on my way home from the park), and you and your whole family are slowly advancing towards me like the Maori about to perform a Haka, what do you expect me to do?

Apparently get hit by a car.

People refuse to move when I’m running, though it would surely be easier for the SEVEN ADULTS than just me who has nowhere to go.  Obviously if it is a narrow sidewalk and we are walking towards each other I understand pausing to let someone go by, but here that is not the case.  Therefore I assume it doesn’t come as a surprise if I knock the person down, because that’s what it’s coming to.

Sidewalk rage.

Is it so hard to share the public space?  I write about public spaces a lot, both their design and regulation, yet one would assume that you wouldn’t need to regulate common courtesy.  Though the City of Valencia has made an effort to encourage it.

Walk Left, Stand Right

Recently in the metro new signs were posted below the escalators, indicating which side to stand on and which side to walk on.  I assume they have done this because nobody abides by any kind of system, which also drives me crazy.  Typically in Canada we stand on the right, and pass on the left, much like our driving regulations.

Here it’s every person for herself.

I can only conclude that this lackadaisical attitude is a reflection of the fact that Spaniards are typically not in a hurry… for anything.  On the one hand, I appreciate stopping to smell the flowers, on the other hand, not while I’m in the middle of jogging.  All I ask is for a little common courtesy, lest I succumb to my sidewalk rage and hurt an innocent child.

Por favor, move over!

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Lost In London

Posted in Cities, Density, New Urbanism, Public Spaces, Public Transportation, Sustainability Planning on February 27, 2011 | 2 Comments »

London Tube Map

Every time I’m in London I take one look at the “tube” map, a 1000 legged rainbow spider and think, “How wonderfully easy and comprehensive – it goes everywhere!”

And then I try to use it.

Descending into the depths of the London underground, plan for at least 10 extra minutes of walking time… because all of that connectivity means that you’re going to be jogging down long cavernous winding tunnels to the find the correct platform, tense with panic as the tube thwarts your best intentions to arrive in a timely fashion (sorry Naz and Col).  Not to mention potential delays, construction detours, or stops that no longer exist (read: Blackfriars).

And what does the privilege of this experience cost you?  A one way, 2-zone ride costs more than 4 POUNDS. Did you read that correctly?

Yes you did – 4 POUNDS.

Millennium Bridge

Which is about 6.5 DOLLARS.  Who can afford this???  Has public transportation become the domain of the rich, when once us paupers held it so closely to our hearts?

Of course this motivates us plebeians to walk around London as much as possible (read: depending on the quality of your rain-jacket, ‘wellies’ and umbrella/spirit)… if you can find your way through the crowds.

London pulsates with tourists, wandering through Hyde Park, frantically taking photos of Big Ben, charmed by the dirty Thames river and paying exorbitant amounts to see (albeit incredible) theatre in the West End.  All of which requires a strong sense of direction, or… good planning!

Cue: wayfinding.

Map Map Map

Almost 2000 years old, London has none of the nice neat grid patterns that characterize North American cities.  Rather, it is your average European etch-a-sketch drawing, dense to the core and filled with adorable little pubs that practically ensure that you will get distracted/lost in the maze of cobblestone alleys.

Here I give London City Council kudos.

While the underground may be creaking with age, the city bursting at the seams, and the streets designed by a drunk planner playing SimCity, they have done a very good job of wayfinding.

What’s that you ask?

Well, wayfinding is well-known concept used in urban planning to describe “a consistent use and organization of definite sensory cues from the external environment”.  In lay-man terms, how do we find our way around?

All of us have experienced the frustration of losing ourselves in a poorly planned airport, desperate to reach our boarding gate, carrying what feels like 7 handbags and wearing a warm jacket, sweating profusely deciding which hall to turn down, and nary a sign in sight.  Good planning creates a built environment that lends itself to easy navigation.

This way to Buckingham Palace!

London is perhaps my best example to date of good wayfinding.  The City has installed large street maps with magnified highlights on almost every major corner, detailing sites of interest and public transportation options.  Having an oversize map that confirms where you are at any given time is extremely helpful for those of us that still don’t have Iphones (yes, we’re out there), AND want to maintain our peaceful relationships.

Just sayin’.

Additionally the city has orienteering sign poles that direct you to key tourist attractions, again of great assistance to the those with wanderlust.

And most importantly, throughout London streets, one is reminded that most of us civilized folk drive on the right (pun intended) side of the street, and thus you must look in the opposite direction when crossing said street.  Easier said than done.

Thankfully there are signs EVERYWHERE that remind you to do just that.

Given that the city already feels as though it is exploding with people, it is difficult to imagine how the city will handle the additional influx of tourists during the impending 2012 summer Olympics.  Yet thanks to good planning (such a noble profession), when those tourists arrive, they’ll find their way around with confidence.

Lest a tourist be injured...

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