"City" Questions

1. What do you feel were the author's key points in this chapter?
Clutter can be a good thing. People want to be where there are lots of other people and a smaller sidewalk can give the appearance of more people. Obstacles in the sidewalk can help funnel people into stores. Stores should use the space on the sidewalk to sell merchandise, which can lead to more clutter. On the other hand, doorways should be unobstructed, with the doors left open when possible. People should be unsure as to where the sidewalk ends and the store begins.
Window displays are very important. Window shoppers bring other window shoppers and some of them turn into actual customers. The problem with most window displays is that they are designed to be viewed from about the middle of the street instead of the middle of the sidewalk. Movement, light, sound and mystery all grab people's attention.
The best streets have a wide variety of buildings and occupants in them. A mix of building types and materials used keeps the passersby interested a wide variety of stores, restaurants and services means they can find just about anything they need in one spot. Anything a city puts on the sidewalk should have multiple functions. Whyte's example is the trash can that can be used as a shelf as well. Objects like this attract people.


2. Compare Whyte's ideas on design to Norman's concepts that we studied earlier. What's similar? What's different?
The biggest similarity is the use of visceral design to catch people's attention. Whyte mention's flashing lights and bright window displays. These certainly have a wow factor. But he also mentions a window covered in brown paper with a few eye holes cut in it. This was very effective but can't be said to have a wow factor. Whyte also mentions many things that are not behavioral. Norman would want a clean, unobstructed walkway, much like the one from the reading about what Main Street can learn from the mall, but Whyte argues that clutter is functional. The two would share ideas about doorways, they should be open and easy to use without much thought. Norman would like Whyte's idea that everyday objects should have multiple functions, like the trashcan that is a table but could also be a footrest or a place to tie your shoes.


3. Create a checklist, based on Whyte's chapter, that could be used to analyze an urban area.
stores that open onto the sidewalk, two stories worth
large windows that show activity
good sidewalk, not too wide
trees
seating, trash cans, other multipurpose objects
a mix of different stores/restaurants