Week 4 Readings: Linear Model

In response to Whyte's The Street


In this Reading Whyte discusses the importance of the street in relation to a public space. He says that the street, and more specifically the street corner is a key space for a plaza. This is because a lot of traffic happens on the street and on the street corners. The interaction between vendors and other people conversing makes the streets something that can be used to better a plaza. Whyte says that the transition between the street and the plaza is a key aspect between success and failure and that, "the transition should be such that it's hard to tell where one ends and the other begins." I also believe this is a key part to a plaza because if you think about it, if the transition is extremely smooth one might find themselves simply stumbling upon the plaza. You could be walking along the street and then bam, you're in a beautiful plaza where you might venture again and again, day after day. Basically what I got out of this reading is that to create a successful plaza or public space in general, connecting with the street is a key aspect of the design that should be thought out in a rigorous manor. Also creating a sense of wonder or curiosity from the street looking towards the plaza is something to think about.

In response to Lane Barden's The River


When I think of a river I think of a winding path of water going through vegetation, most likely trees and tall grass. What else comes to mind is rocky ledges and just pure nature essentially. I have never really experienced any urban rivers in my life, coming from New Hampshire all the rivers are natural rather than man made or even in an urban context. The closest thing would be in Manchester, NH where the city is basically built a long a river and was once a town for paper mills. The ideas behind the manmade river in LA are quite interesting. It was created to control and lessen the chance of flooding in the area. However this takes away form the natural beauty of a "real" river. Yes the chances of flood are increased , but there are many things an architect or designer can do to solve that issue. Another issue I found with the river in LA is that the vandalism that is increasing along the structure, thus creating a visually displeasing look.