Patterns, Placemaking, and People: 3 Questions for Observing Your City

(Source: Unsplash/JustA Guy.)

Earlier this month, I found myself stepping out of a revolving hotel door in Charlotte, North Carolina, turning right, heading up four flights of outdoor stairs, and sitting myself on a bench at the Brooklyn Village light rail station. Back in Waco, Texas, my husband found himself on the receiving end of an enthusiastic string of text messages: “Starting the day doing one of my favorite things 🚆,” followed by a photo of the light rail as it pulled into the station, a description of the various people on board, and, of course, a selfie.

I love public transit and I cannot lie. I had six hours before catching a train to Raleigh to see my mom and I had resolved to dedicate most of that time to one of my favorite activities: wandering and exploring a new city. Without a doubt, this plan was only possible because Charlotte offered various public transit options that freed me from the need to rent a car. I had a few destinations in mind: a French bakery, a vintage clothing store, and a deli where I would grab a sandwich for lunch. Between those destinations, anything could happen!

Well, not really anything. On the surface, I might look like just another tourist or perhaps just a pregnant woman out for a few hours of shopping, but in reality, I was on a serious mission: I was here to see Charlotte, or at least as much of it as I could in the next four hours.

What Do I Mean by See?

“Attention is the beginning of devotion.” 

So goes one of my favorite quotes by the American poet Mary Oliver. Taken from her poem, “Wild Geese,” I’m always amazed at how loaded these six words are with perceptive insight. These are the kinds of words that stick with you long after you’ve finished the poem and moved on to fold laundry or start dinner, the kind of words that unfold themselves in life, revealing themselves over and over again to be true: in relationships, in writing, in all the little things that make up the daily work of living…anything done well begins by paying attention. 

This includes how we orient ourselves to our cities, which is why I take seeing the city quite seriously. It’s a practice in paying attention. Nothing about this habit has much quantifiable value: my habit of walking for hours, popping into shops, ambling around neighborhoods, and talking to business owners won’t show up in any economic development strategy, but after more than a decade of loving cities, I’m resolved that it is one of the most valuable habits we can cultivate if we want to care about where we live. 

It is wise of Oliver to pair attention and devotion. After all, it is often the case that the activity, place, or person to which we may desire to devote ourselves will be something or someone that we see often… It or they will quickly become familiar. But notice that Oliver didn’t propose familiarity or proximity as the beginnings of devotion. Rather, she emphasized a second-mile kind of attitude, one that moves beyond familiarity, that perhaps even sees familiarity as a potential threat, one that says, “You will become familiar to me and because of that familiarity, I will have to work harder to see, understand, and care for you.” 

Isn’t this true about our cities? It’s so easy (and efficient) to not notice them after a while. It’s more expedient to become familiar with our cities as soon as possible. Having our favorite spots around town, our familiar routes, our typical parking spots, and our “regular orders” makes life easier. I’m not suggesting we intentionally frustrate ourselves or our families by randomly insisting on “doing things differently” just for the sake of it! But I am suggesting that cultivating a meaningful presence in our communities (the kind that can lead to meaningful action) requires, on some level, pushing back against familiarity and taking time to really notice. 

But what does this look like in the context of ordinary life? It could look like a Saturday morning walk around a neighborhood other than your own, taking a new route to a common destination, switching up your modes of transit when you can, or simply looking at the city with extra attention as you go about your ordinary life with your ordinary routes. Whatever you choose, here are three things you can look for: patterns, placemaking, and people. 

Patterns

All cities are governed and structured by a variety of design and building patterns that shape not just the built environment, but our patterns of movement, activity, and association. As you explore your city, try and notice what kind of patterns shape your city. Perhaps you realize your city has a surprising collection of alleyways, frontage roads, or stroads. Perhaps some neighborhoods have been intentional about slowing traffic with roundabouts or speed bumps? Other patterns you can observe: the placement of green spaces, the relationship between businesses and neighborhoods, the location of public spaces like plazas.

As you observe, strive to make connections. What’s the relationship between the tangible patterns of the city and the pattern of your life? How does the design of the city shape what you can and cannot do on a daily basis? What trade-offs does the design of your city ask you to accept? What does the design of your city reveal about what your city values (or at least valued at one point in time)? 

Placemaking

Similar in its emphasis on design, placemaking is the art of transforming places to pass through into spaces to be. Placemaking is all about noticing what makes your city enjoyable from a neurological and visual perceptive. Where do you see beauty and harmony? Where might those elements be missing? How well-designed are your city’s thoroughfares, popular destinations, and public spaces? Are they designed and arranged to make you want to spend time there? Where do you find yourself going when you just want to “hang out” and relax? 

People

Lastly and perhaps most important: look for the people. As you explore your city, notice where you see people outside of cars. How do design decisions determine who can be out and about? What activities do you see? As you move between the various spaces of the city (highway, shopping center, neighborhoods, Main Street, park) consider the extent to which different types of people can participate in the public life of the city. Do you see children? Teenagers? Seniors? Can people be out in the city on a bike or scooter? Can parents with children safely walk throughout their neighborhoods? Do you see folks out for runs or walking around with their dogs? Can you find street performers anywhere? If the city is a “container for human life,” then this means we should see life being lived. What does life look like in your city? 

NoDa, Charlotte, SC. (Source: Flickr/James Willamor.)

My adventure around the NoDa (i.e., the North Davidson) neighborhood of Charlotte involved a very tasty almond croissant, a visit to two thrift stores, a chat with a business owner, and an amble around neighborhoods seemingly full of accessory dwelling units (or perhaps just AirBnbs) and stunning hydrangeas. I noticed a ton of new development and overheard a shopkeeper commenting on the tradeoff: she knows growth can be difficult, but she’s so grateful for the new customers who come to her shop off the light rail. The deli was tricky to access because of sidewalk construction, but when I got there, I sat for a while and watched locals pop in and out non-stop for chips, sandwiches, coffees, and hellos. 

I was tired then and ready to sit on a train for a few hours to Raleigh. I picked up my sandwich order and headed back to the light rail, quite content with my adventure. I had seen plenty of interesting patterns and people. With its eccentric collection of businesses, it was clear this little part of the city contained plenty of stories that I’m sure I could have unpacked if I had had more time. The part of me that wants to “know everything” was perhaps impatient to dig in and investigate, but the “paying attention” part of me knows better. My adventure didn’t deliver to me any grand epiphanies about cities, but it gave me plenty to be curious about…and that is the entire point.  

This Member Week at Strong towns, look around you: What do you see that’s worth celebrating, and, likewise, what do you see that could be improved on? Join with and support those who are out there doing that work in your place by becoming a Strong Towns member today.

---