how we shape cities, and cities shape us

One of the most fascinating things about traveling is seeing how very small cultural preferences are, whether it’s the tendency to be on time, or how words may be understood literally versus contextually. Even though these can seem like small intangible things, they grow and materialise, and eventually crystalize as a city.

Joe Goodwin • Errolson Hugh: The Final Boss of Fashion

According to Putnam, the more we prioritize our private bubbles over public life, the more we disconnect from our local surroundings. This has weakened American democracy. Fewer people are engaged in politics, and those who do are often at the political poles. With less social capital, our neighborhoods are connected by fewer informal, reciprocal... See more

A city speaks to you mostly by accident — in things you see

through windows, in conversations you overhear. It's not something

you have to seek out, but something you can't turn off.

Paul Graham • Cities and Ambition

The crowd is the flâneur’s indispensable counterpart: the crowd turns people into observable objects . In Edgar Allan Poe’s ‘The Man in the Crowd’ the protagonist pursues an intriguing figure through the streets of London for a whole night without ever being able to see his face: in big cities, one can stroll through busy streets without... See more

Alexander Raubo • August Flânerie

The West Village Girl is probably the best example of this sort of zombie formalism, deeply self-obsessed moment. West Village is an NYC neighborhood that serves as a production set for an optimized lifestyle. You can live your entire life within a five-block radius: Pilates, three-drinker dinners, charm bars, espresso martinis, run clubs,... See more

Kyla Scanlon • The Most Valuable Commodity in the World Is Friction

‘A recently completed co operative housing block – one of the first in the city – offers a rare alternative and a glimpse into a more affordable, inclusive and sustainable future,’ writes @markminkjan of De Nieuwe Meent in Amsterdam by @timetoaccess and Roel van der Zeeuw Architecten. ‘De Nieuwe Meent shows how... See more

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“A neighbourhood is not only an association of buildings but also a network of social relationships, an environment where the feelings and the sympathy can flourish.” -

Jane Jacobs

Alexi Gunner • idle gaze 002: Community thrives through bustling neighbourhoods and casual chatter.

THE HUMANISE CAMPAIGN | CALL FOR AN END TO BORING BUILDINGS

humanise.org