Chicago Chronicles
Reading Journal
Chicago is full of walkable blocks wherever you go. From Michigan Avenue’s fashion themed blocks to Van Buren Street’s Financial blocks there is a block made for everyone. But not all blocks are created equally, some blocks can be narrow and dark and not be able support groups of people. Walkable blocks are important to maintain a good-looking city that doubles as a good area to walk in.
A walkable block is a block that has good width so multiple groups of people can walk on both directions of the sidewalk without having to change the way they walk. A good example of a walkable street that I have walked many times is North State Street. This street has some of the widest sidewalks that I have walked in which does a great job of supporting heavy foot traffic during rush hour. The way that storefronts are organized throughout State Street makes it an efficient block because people coming out of the businesses have enough space to walk out without having to be worried about bumping into someone that is coming down the sidewalk as one would in a narrow street. Lighting is important when it comes to nightlife in these streets and N. State street has very good lighting that supports a healthy nightlife. Lighting is also important in creating security while walking because someone is less likely to harm you in a well-lit, wide street when compared to a sparsely lit street with little walkable space. Overall walkable blocks are important when it comes to maintaining a city with large populations and helps with tourism because people are more likely to visit a walkable city that has beautiful blocks. (281)
Walking Journal
After reading the articles assigned, I began gathering more ideas for my final project about culture and I began to think deeper about culture in our city and culture plays a significant role in shaping a city and creating a diverse community in such a densely populated area. It is important to market cities to all cultures and communities and the first step is having diverse communities in those cities to attract people to visit. I am happy with choosing culture as the topic of my final project because I enjoy analyzing culture in every city that I go, and it deeply interests me being able to learn about these communities.
Quotes:
1. “But to lose oneself in a city- as one loses oneself in a forest- that calls for quite a different schooling” (Solnit)
In this quote Solnit compares getting lost in a city to getting lost in a forest. In a way these 2 are quite similar but not the same. While a city has a variety of different buildings with their own unique designs it can be easy to get lost in the immensity and uniqueness of these buildings. In a forest you are surrounded by different species of trees that have their own features but look the same. The uniformity of the trees in a forest makes it easy for your mind to wonder onto different subjects and not think much of the environment you are walking in. Cities and buildings on the other hand helps one get lost in that specific environment and have their mind wonder about the city and buildings surroundings deeply.
2. “They disregard me” (Turnbull)
Turnbull refers to this quote multiple times in his article and it is an important point of his main idea. Cities are jam packed of people but there seems to be little interaction between the people living in these cities, and there seems to be a lot of disregard towards others. I have noticed that it is easier to regard others in less populated areas such as the suburbs where it is easy to talk to neighbors or people walking their dog because they have less interactions that city people which makes interactions more significant. People in cities seem to disregard others the most because when living in a city people seem to live a faster paced lifestyle where there is little time to regard the existence of others. I have been guilty of this myself by putting my headphones in and disregarding others on the train or walking back from class.
3. “Cities have always offered anonymity, variety, and conjunction, qualities best basked in by walking” (Solnit)
Cities are full of life and a variety of buildings and landmarks. In this quote Solnit is describing the main features of a city that could be seen while walking. Walking is the best way to explore a city because you are experiencing the city firsthand through smell, touch, vision, and hearing. You are getting the full experience and taking it in while walking at your own pace. Once you start walking you start to notice the little things that make the city special, and you start to look for more unique features and start to find oddities and qualities that make you feel like a part of a city.
