Colored Tiles for Magnificent Miles
Tonight I walk to my favorite street in Chicago so far, Michigan Ave. This street is known for its shops (the main reason it’s my favorite). The sidewalks are very wide with plenty of decor. The appealing space it what makes this street so walkable for people.
In front of Water Tower Place, the sidewalks have colored tiles of white red and grey. There are also large planters in the center of the sidewalk, dividing it into two lanes for people walk on. As I walk along this sidewalk, I notice it smells like a swimming pool or strong chemicals. I can’t tell where it is coming from
The city is very quiet right now. It is 10:00 pm on Michigan ave. There are people around, but everybody is very quiet. There is a steady stream of cars driving by on the street but they are fairly spread out. When they’re isn’t a car driving by, it is silent. Cars driving by break the silence. The car engine along with the sound of squeeking breaks is one of the few things making noise in the streets right now. I hear a man playing music out loud from his phone as well. He is standing outside the David Yurmann store. He is smoking a swisher or a backwoods and the pungent cheap cigar smell is very strong.
The Silence: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8j-Td6Kh8TY&feature=youtu.be
As I analyze what makes this space walkable, I focus mainly on the sidewalks I walk on. They all have plants and trees embraced with them in some way. The sidewalk I walk on right now had a row of trees with thin trunks splitting the middle of the sidewalk. Again, splitting it into lanes. The trees and high end shops not only looks nice, but makes the sidewalk more walkable and attracts walkers.
I continue to walk. Now I focus more on the older buildings. The old churches bring so much life and history to this street. On my way there, I smell the Hibachi steak from Benihana. This large hole in the ground (literally) is another very walkable space. Since there are no streets passing right through it, it is a centerpiece of the sidewalk, designed for walkers.
The most walkable sidewalk in front of one of these old buildings is definitely in front of the Chicago Water Works building. There are illuminated lights lining the front enterance. This not only created an illuminated path for walkers, but lights up the building, and attracts walkers at night. Personally, the illuminated building / sidewalk attracted me. I am intrigued by this building and want to learn more about it. It smells like a musty towel in the air.
My Sketch of This Building:
According to Jacobs, what mistakes did urban planners of the 1950s make? Can you find such mistakes in Chicago?
According to Jane Jacobs, a mistake that Urban Planners made in the 19050s was simply mapping out their vision and having it built. Although Urban Planners may think they know how the streets and sidewalks will run, they don’t. They are stuck in the perspective of a birds eye view, rather than thinking from the walker’s perspective. An example of this is at Rockefeller Center in New York City. They had to put the overflow of its street activity underground. According to Jacobs, this is the wrong moral. They should be making an effort to get people above ground with more air and sky, not less.
I think a similar mistake has been made here in Downtown Chicago. When it comes to the L, much of it is underground. Obviously, the Brown Line has the best view and has a scenic path being above the street. The Red and Blue line however, go underneath the beautiful buildings with no view for the passengers at all. Many of the train riders are walkers, and would probably appreciate a view of the city when they ride the L. A lot would be different if they had an alternative form of transportation along the Red Line that the underground train.
