Gary BANNERMAN © open lines + ‘e's difficult to design a space that will not attract people. What is re- markable is how often this has been accomplished.’ — William H. Whyte. IFA long, wide city sidewalk narrows at some obvious point of deviation, where do most people decide to chat? Is it quicker to enter a building in a crowd or by yourself? When a major company movzs to the suburbs, does it locate (1) nearer to where the largest number of employees live; (2) nearer to where the boss lives; or, (3) closest to the largest number of exclusive and private golf clubs? Why is it that when “‘undesirables’’ are shooed away from public places, the bums keep coming back and the public vanishes? The curiosity about skywalks and underground malls is that they destroy street level retailing and the quality of surface life. This generates urban decay which hastens movement of office and residences out of a downtown core. People demand broad, clean and orderly grid systems for city streets. When this is done to perfection, hopeless boredom sets in, blank walls line the byways, and the urban core empties of people. Wren suburban shopping centres — clean with free parking — imperil downtown business, there is only one foolproof route to urban bankruptcy: build similar shopping centres downtown. ’’ At a social session not long ago, Vancouver Mayor Gordon Camp- bell and I discussed the chemistry that makes cities great. We talked about New York Ci- ty, and the exhilarating hustle that scares so many, but produces the opposite effect on me. I referred the mayor to a book | had just read, ‘‘This is New York, Honey”’ by Stephen Lewis’ wife Michelle Landsberg. The book ef- fervesces with excitement about the shops and interesting alcoves that abound in the Big Apple. Mayor Campbell countered by promising to get me a copy of a more professional book titled ‘‘Ci- ty’? by urban geographer William H. Whyie. He was true to his word, Whyte and a team of young researchers have dissected the habits of urban dwellers, produc- ing in a humorous and fascinating package a definitive behavioral pattern. His group, using a battery of hidden cameras, chronicled pedes- trian patterns in many cities. Among the discoveries is that we all like noise, confusion and crowds: at least in times when we are not seeking solace and escape. Chaotic street patterns, par- ticularly those that come together at haphazard points around flat- iron buildings, make better cities than uniform grids. “*‘Schmoozing”’ points (places where chats occur) seem to be the narrowest strips of sidewalks or the most crowded access areas for retail outlets. Doorways are fine places for animated discussions. When suburban shopping cen- tres — clean with free parking — imperil! downtown business, there is only one foolproof route to ur- ban bankruptcy: build similar shopping centres downtown. A cily core will always whip the hinterlands if it simply does city things: the arts, the crowds, the large buildings, the bums, the street musicians and food outlets ingeniously shrunk to a size the owner can afford to rent. This manages to avoid the ‘*cafeteria modern”’ decor that can only sur- vive where land is worthless and there are as many cars as people. kat You will learn in this book that the revolving door, designed eons ago by experts to move the largest crowds into and out of buildings, is actually a bottleneck. The pedes- trian always needs thinking time to plan his assault. Similarly, it takes longer to enter any building during off-peak hours. Given a chcice between a private door and following one or more people through a busier en- try, the majority will follow the line. Mass movement is fastest and smoothest when steady lines of people flow through ordinary doors. My favorite sections deal with corporate executives. When New York was at its lowest ebb, many companies vacated to suburbia. Announce- ments were made that this would be better for the employees. Whyte determined that the firms actually located near the boss’ home, in proximity to exclusive private clubs. In blissful couniryside, they then built forboding fortresses with se- curity guards and electrical gadgetry. This might have been useful caution in a troubled city core, but it looks rather odd in Greenwich, CT. Inside the fortress, Whyte discovered huge ‘‘visitors’’ parking areas. He studied many large na- tional firms in the suburbs. The parking areas for visitors were revealing: they were empty. All of them. When he interviewed the execu- tives, he learned that no one came out to see them. The boss hadto go into New York. The same executives, troubled by bums and Iciterers on their public plazas, put spikes in the tops of walls; removed benches; hired guards to patrol with dogs; and they posted ‘‘No Swimming"’ signs on decorative pools. The public, finding the environment inhospitable, soon left. But the undesirables increased in number. Why? Whyte determined the obvious: the one thing winos despise when they want a nap is large numbers of people. They love empty spaces. Here’s a direct quote from the author: ‘*Benches are design artifacts the purpose of which is to punctuate architectural photographs.”’ Or try this one: ‘‘It is a well- known ‘fact’ that small cities are friendlier than big ones. Our research indicates that the reverse is more likely to be the case.”’ Evidence that justice prevails is that the large firms that vacated Manhattan sold their buildings at an enormous loss. The new quarters, fulfilling every dream, cost much more to build. Now they’ve found they had to move part of the business back to the ci- ty. The new buildings have dramatically dropped in value. Golf Clubs are happy in the country. Businesses need action. If the chemistry of urban life in- terests you, the book is published by Doubleday. Alarm request for YMCA jolts West Van Council intention WITH THE of demolishing the old Inglewood School building in two years, West Vancouver Schooi District 45 has extended its lease of the facility to West Vancouver District for $1 for another two years. The municipality, in turn, will continue to lease (for $1) the build- ing to the YMCA, which has been managing the building’s operation for some time. While the municipality will join the ‘‘Y”’ in paying the costs of the safety upgrading requirements demanded by the West Vancouver Fire Department, it is balking at the school board’s requirement that it fund a $10,000 intrusion alarm system. ‘*...it would seem to be a con- siderable waste of taxpayers’ money to expend $10,000 where no apparent problem has arisen,’’ submitted municipal manager Terry Lester in his report to West Vancouver District Council. The board considered the intru- sion alarm system necessary because there exists a common wall between their maintenance facili- CARPET CLEANING Exclusive Truck Mount carpet cleaning unit comes to your home — it's 10 to household current. Our cleaning gets out deep hidden grit and can prolong carpet life. UPHOLSTERY CLEANING determines the best method to clean fabrics — even velvet, brocade, needle- point. Guaranteed cleaning brightens colors by removing soi] ~— and no shrinkage! 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