Five Urbanist Observations About New York
A Few Things I Saw On My Trip To The Big Apple That I Want To Share
I’m an urbanist and when I go to new cities I can’t help but see them with urbanist eyes. I visited New York for the first time at the beginning of October. It’d been on my to do list since for five years, and I finally lived in a location where New York could be made in a 12 hour bus trip. Here’s what stuck out to me.
Being Next To People
Public transit is ubiquitous. Everyone uses it and it creates a certain rhythm to the city. Riding the subway forces you to be around other people, to sit patiently and demonstrate some civil rest with your fellow neighbor, at least somewhat. People express need through facial and non-verbal mannerisms, there’s a code of conduct for how you treat other people. It is a lesson in proximity and cordiality. I found it compellingly comfortable being around a bunch of strangers and a sense of solidarity that we all just wanted to get somewhere.
Around the Trees
It never occurred to me to create a bench around a tree. But after seeing this example, I’m convinced that there have to be a ton more options to explore aournd the street tree. In a world where the ‘parklet’ is the fashion statement of a progressive city, this idea, the ‘benchlet’ offer the same utility, yet doesn’t take up a parking space. It’s essentially a parklet on the sidewalk. I love it.
Trees For Scale
The image above is Bryant Park. It’s an incredible open park with amenities surrounding the edges including a cafe and various field games. It is surrounded by 20–80 story buildings on all sides, yet it still feels like it’s at a human scale. It took me a second to understand why until I noticed there was a buffer zone of trees that stepped the scale of the buildings down. Not only do the trees provide a nice visual break, but they provide a natural and aged feel about the space.
Open Air Market
I stumbled onto this Market in the Meat Packing District a few blocks off the High Line. The appeal was immediate and welcoming. It was cold and rainy outside, but once you stepped through the doors it was warm and toasty. I found the success of this type of use worked best because of the ground floor transition. It worked as an extension of the cobblestone street seamlessly and was paired with natural lighting that still gave me a sense of being outside.
Sign Continuity
All of the font on the subway signs is Helvetica. It’s really elegant and super easy to read. There’s actually a book on the subject. The simple design and legibility gave me a sense of continuity traveling through the subways making for a great user experience.
Let me know what you think about my observations. Are there others I missed? Let discuss!
