Downtown sitting
SoHo is clogged with streets and plenty of people lately, but people still find ways to enjoy a seat.
Add comment March 19th, 2007
Archive for March, 2007
Hidden places in Los Angeles
A trip to Los Angeles is always fun. New York and LA couldn’t be more different. I got a bird’s eye view from our office tower of some of the public spaces downtown.
I thought this plaza was the most indicative of the type of places…beautiful perhaps from the sky - not friendly at all on the ground.
However, Little Tokyo was really fun. Small-scale, filled with people making use of the little ledges. Sit, stand or lean, they offer a bit of respite.
Add comment March 2nd, 2007
Don’t sit here… Posts About People-Deterrents
Steve Portigal posted some pictures of the Embarcadero’s creative “anti-skateboard” devices. The principle is similar to those functional yet visually attractive pigeon deterrents posted about earlier. Says Steve…
It’s still ugly, but there’s an emotional component (”cute” - “fun” - “neat”) created by the whimsical shapes that counteracts that reaction quite strongly. I’m sure the original planners and architects are horrified, but it kinda mostly works.
Additionally, it feels less unwelcoming than spikes or other anti-sit devices in the same way those pigeon deterrents feel less intimidating — so maybe it also counteracts the negative feelings you might have about not being allowed so lie or skate there!
LINK: Anti-skateboard Devices on the Embarcadero
LINK: Another post about anti-skate devices and user experience
Add comment March 2nd, 2007