For those parts of the city where compactness breeds activity, moments in time show the potential of human interaction.

Here, we have no sense of context, and we do not know what will come next.

Will the protagonists of this photograph interact as friends or relatives, or are they strangers passing by? Is this a parking meter transaction, with surrounding pedestrians, or a social gathering soon to be underway?

Countless scenes like this one weave together the urban story, for the most part safely and without incident. For the careful observer, patterns can yield answers and lessons about the fundamental elements of naturally-occurring city life.

Image composed by the author.