Category: pedestrianism

the unstaged beauty of urbanism without effort

On By Chuck WolfeIn everyday urbanism, infill development, infrastructure, pedestrianism, placemaking, sustainability, urbanism without effortLeave a comment

CityLife_ChuckWolfe

I have become a zealous advocate for each of us carefully observing the fundamental relationships between people and cities, particularly when it is possible to capture moments that work, seemingly without effort.

Here we see a downtown public space, and simple chess board intervention.

Witness the result, including the camaraderie of strangers and astute observers. The family at play seems as important as the post-match decorum, not to mention the transit stop in the background.

This is not a staged photo. But I would venture that it shows, spontaneously, the very stage sought by over-complex formulations and the populist tenets of today’s urbanism.

Image composed by the author in Seattle’s Westlake Park. Click on the image for more detail. © 2009-2013 myurbanist. All Rights Reserved. Do not copy.

For more information on the role of personal experience in understanding the changing city, see Urbanism Without Effort, an e-book from Island Press.

literal placemaking and alley activation in Victoria

On By Chuck WolfeIn compact development, everyday urbanism, pedestrianism, placemaking, sustainability, urban viewsLeave a comment

VictoriaAlley_ChuckWolfe

In Victoria, British Columbia, one alley “activation” takes the term literally, enabling ready observation and commentary by placemakers today.

Image composed by the author. Click on each image for more detail. © 2009-2013 myurbanist. All Rights Reserved. Do not copy.

the rural landscape, through an urbanist lens

On By Chuck WolfeIn everyday urbanism, pedestrianism, placemaking, sustainability, urban views, urbanism without effortLeave a comment

Palouse_Barns_ChuckWolfe

My Facebook page usually caters to a distinctly urbanist clientele. But, the most “liked” photos on the page last week were far from urban, with subjects dramatically divorced from city life.

Almost all who clicked “like” are transit, bike or urban density proponents, leaving me pondering why my photographs attracted such sudden admiration of life “back on the farm”.

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I took four days off to photograph the Palouse region at the border of Washington State and Idaho with 14 others–an organized road trip led by online photo personality Steve Huff, and a Seattle Leica enthusiast, Dr. Ashwin Rao.

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Today’s post continues as an entry on Crosscut. For the remainder, click here.

Images composed by the author in Washington State and Idaho. Click on each image for more detail. © 2009-2013 myurbanist. All Rights Reserved. Do not copy.

For more information on the role of personal experience in understanding the changing city, see Urbanism Without Effort, an e-book from Island Press.

three simple methods to inspire urban change

On By Chuck WolfeIn everyday urbanism, infill development, pedestrianism, placemaking, sustainability, urban views, urbanism without effortLeave a comment

One of my favorite motivational scenes, that inspires city reinvention, is the one above.

The photo shows the first part of the Nice, France tramway—a city-center transit line which has helped change an automobile-oriented downtown. Experiencing this image in real-time, applying the full range of human senses, compelled my understanding of what is achievable amid the urban fabric of today.

Immersion in the real look and feel (and sometimes sound and smell) of a more compact and sustainable local experience can feed arguments for change, justify expenditures or tell how to cast a strategic election vote. Personal involvement is the most powerful and verifiable way to champion the city cause, over and above mere acceptance of empirical data, article prose and illustrations.

Unfortunately, when it comes to these far-away urban places, not all of us have real-time access to the inspirational modern projects served by transit, or the historic monuments, streets and squares that illustrate the potential of creative city life.
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Today’s post continues as an entry on The Huffington Post. For the remainder, click here.  For more information on the role of personal experience in understanding the changing city, see Urbanism Without Effort, an e-book from Island Press.

Image composed by the author.

“Urbanism Without Effort” at Town Hall: June 19th

On By Chuck WolfeIn compact development, everyday urbanism, infill development, pedestrianism, placemaking, sustainability, urbanism without effortLeave a comment

Here are the details.  On June 19th, 6-7:30pm,  Urbanism Without Effort will see further light of day, Downstairs at Town Hall-Seattle (more info about the event here).

From the Town Hall description:

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To create vibrant, sustainable cities, says Seattle attorney Charles Wolfe, we must first understand what happens naturally when people congregate in cities—the innate, unprompted interactions of urban dwellers with each other and their surrounding environment. Wolfe, author of the illustrated e-book Urbanism Without Effort, argues that city dwellers invariably celebrate environments where they can coexist safely, in a mutually supportive way, and finds such celebration most interesting when it occurs spontaneously—seemingly without effort. Through illustrations and examples of real life—both historic and current—he contends it is critical to first isolate these spontaneous examples of successful urban land use before applying government policies or initiatives.

Presented as part of the Town Hall Civic series, supported by The Boeing Company, the RealNetworks Foundation, and the True/Brown Foundation. Media support provided by Crosscut.com.

Tickets are $5 at www.townhallseattle.org or 888/377-4510 and at the door beginning at 5:30 pm. Town Hall members receive priority seating. Downstairs at Town Hall; enter on Seneca Street.

LEARN MORE:
About Wolfe
Read a Daily Journal of Commerce article about Wolfe and his e-book.  

Stay on at Town Hall at 7:30 in the Great Hall, and see part of the Sightline@20 Series: Journey to Midway Atoll with Chris Jordan, details here.

The  Urbanism Without Effort website tracks other news about the book on a regular basis, here.