Week 4 Responses

1. Why does de Certeau begin a chapter titled “Walking in the City” at the top of the World Trade Center in Manhattan (p. 91)?

De Certeau begins at the top of the World Trade Center because it offers an outside view of the busy city underneath. From the top, you get to be an observer of the city, rather than a part of it. You get to notice the structure and development of the city. He describes the vertical roadways the make up New York’s grid system and the ever-changing development of new buildings while old ones are torn down or left to rot. Beginning the chapter by instilling the idea of becoming an observer of the environment rather than a part of it helps the audience gain an understanding of what it means to be a flaneur in the city. (117)

2. What does de Certeau mean when he writes, “Surveys of routes miss what was: the act itself of passing by(.)” (p. 97)?

De Certeau’s work very much focuses on the interaction between the pedestrian and their environment. In the next few sentences after this quote, de Certeau mentions wandering and window-shopping, both which do not require a specific destination. When the pedestrian is following a specific path or route, they aren’t aware of all of the other things that are surrounding them. They don’t take account of the beauty of the architecture or the hidden treasures that may be there which are the thing’s de Certeau believes are important. By simply following the route, the pedestrian contradicts de Certeau’s idea of being an observer of the city. (105)