Turns Out, “French Market” Blue is the Best Color and Everyone Agrees

This walk was one of the shortest I have been on since arriving in Chicago, but oddly enough, it was also on of the most fun. I though that finding colors that matched the paint swabs would be as easy as seeing a color and thinking “Yes, that is the same color.” But I was wrong. It was much more a process of trial and error than I was anticipating. My false preconception was caused by my lack of understanding of the importance of context. A grey would look brighter or darker depending on their surroundings, as shown in the checkerboard illusion, and the same is true for the paint swabs, making the process and interesting challenge. But enough of the abstract.

I started my walk by walking out of the Stu, and almost immediately running into this truck.

It might be hard to tell from this picture, but this is actually a Vegetarian Alternatives truck that was parked outside of the Stu. Matching colors with this color has been, for some reason, the most stressful thing I have done all week, so please bear with me. This is also the point where I notice that this color is absolutely everywhere.

Now, at this point, I already had taken several pictures, both for what I will be calling the blue and purple swabs. But none of them were quite right, and honestly this picture is the best color match I ended up getting over all. It was a bit warm outside and I had just made it out of the residential streets that I spent the majority of my walk on.

I noticed this overhead tarp, shade, thing. I forgot what it is called. I think it is a tad brighter, but it will do. I noticed this one from across the street, and I had to brave the awfully confusing Chicago crosswalks to get to it. Back in California I am used to crosswalks being squares, but it seems that Chicago is obssesed with alternative polygonal shapes because it generally takes crossing at least 2 or three streets to get anywhere on busy intersections.

Just across the street from the previous picture where these windows on the chase building. Looking at this picture, you can not tell, but I promise you in real life, and in smaller resolutions and on my phone, these windows are purple. In real life it was really obvious. These windows, for a reason that still escapes me, were lit up purple with what looked like RGB strip lights. Why RGB strip lights were in a Chase? That is for the audience to figure out.

Now this color match was pretty accurate. But more interestingly, I can not remember taking this picture. Judging by the surroundings in the picture and by the pictures I took before and after this one, I can assume I was in a shady residential area, but I do not know what building this sign was in front of. Later the map will have this sign on it, but that is honestly more of a guess than anything. This picture will have to go down as a mystery, just like the RGB Chase.

And lastly, we have this under construction sushi restaurant sign. I think these colors match, but, then again, it may just be in my head. I believe this building was connected to the mall that is nearby campus. I remember almost running into a car that ignored the pedestrian crossing light on the sidewalk. I feel like the planners for that should have made it so it was more obvious for walkers where the driveway started and where the sidewalk stopped, but hey, they will probably not start caring anytime soon.

I believe Social Capital the value or weight that people or interactions have in a community, so it would not be a surprise if a block that supported walking, a way for people to interact, would have higher social capital than a neighborhood without such opportunities. Things like nice curb appeal and shaded streets are infrastructure that boost walkability in a community, but things like the confusing middle of the sidewalk crosswalk do not increase walkability. Well I am pretty sure walking as a regular person would only increase ones own social capital an equivalent amount as mowing a stingy neighbors lawn would increase ones regular capital, having a walkable neighborhood means one has at least a little social capital, and that is better than none. I think it would be a better question to ask how a community’s walkability has impacted its own social capital, because that could make an actual difference, which is pointed out in A Walking Life.

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