Quote:
Originally Posted by eschaton
I was thinking about examples like this. I mean, Barcelona is a beautiful city overall. But if you have narrow streets like that, you can't actually get a good look at the facades of the buildings on their upper stories anyway. You can have simple, functional structures. The built condition of the public right of way becomes far more important than the building itself.
Or hell, look at Naples. It's a much grittier, less touristy city. A lot of the individual buildings - although old, are nothing special in terms of design. But the heterogeneity means you never know what you're going to find when you round the next corner. To me that's the most central part of a great pedestrian experience - being able to wander around on foot and be constantly surprised by what you find.
|
I still think you’re wrong.
Aesthetics are not just visual. With old stone or brick buildings, those narrow alleys feel quaint, cosy and inviting. With post-war poured in place concrete and lots of blank walls, they feel oppressive and unsafe.