8 April 2013
Sidewalks – they really are more than just
the concrete domain for pedestrians. Jane Jacobs takes three chapters to talk
about sidewalks as a means for safety, interaction and socializing children.
The safety argument was the most interesting. Community safety is determined by
the amount of human interaction going on in the street – people coming and
going, people sitting on their stoop watching the comings and going, kids
playing, etc, etc. Safety and this interaction make neighbourhoods attractive,
makes people want to live there. As soon as areas are perceived as unsafe,
people leave. It seems an easy concept: how do we make streets safe and
appealing? The automatic response is keep people in them through retail, restaurants
etc. What else can we do?
Chapters mentioned above from book:
Jacobs, Jane. 2000. The Death and Life of Great American Cities. London: Pimlico.
Sidewalk on Avoca Street, Randwick
Photo: by author
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