21: Streets

One of the greatest joys I get from travelling comes from wandering around a different place, being lost and taking it in. There is a special magic to wandering a new city, where people live their lives (just as I do in my own city), taking the whole experience in with total anonymity and fresh eyes; looking at all these things that are someone’s everyday as though it is magical.  

The experiences of the streets are affected so much by the way that the city prioritises the people in the city, rather than the vehicles that use streets to go from A to B- missing the opportunities of the journey between. It is evident where there is a commitment from policymakers, designers, residents and everyone in between are actively working to ensure that these streets are truly places for people. The effects of this is evident in people dining, playing, riding, walking, reading, catching up, sitting and spending time with people.

I’ve been lucky enough to get to see many streets in different cities, so during these times of social-distancing and travelling restrictions, I’ve done a bit of sofa-travelling. Reminiscing on some of my favourite moments on streets- particularly as many streets have been empty through quarantine. They say a picture paints a thousand words, and so…

 Looking over these photos, all of them have created moments- from the gumboots in Freiburg creating interest and drawing attention to the water moving through the city; to the Bubbles in Porto creating a playful street for children. They all have a sense of colour, boldness, and fun that makes the streets lively, exciting places to be. And most importantly, they make people enjoy their time; perhaps even spending more of this valuable resource; in the streets.