About sidewalks

“Fairy tales do not tell children the dragons exist. Children already know that dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children the dragons can be killed.”

― G.K. Chesterton

I was attacked during my first day in this city. When I spoke with the police, they told me that this was MY MISTAKE - I went to a "wrong" district. Each day in this city I walked through the streets and was verbally harassed at least once. Each time when I went to work by public transport I was followed by strange looks and it took me too long to get to the office because of the inefficient public transportation system (the distance to the office was about 10 min by Uber and started to use it instead of buses). All streets of this city were covered with tents of homeless people - they owned all streets and “true public spaces” where you were unwelcome (true public because nobody is interested and anyone can do anything). The beaches in this city were so dirty - the first time in my life I did not enjoy the ocean/sea. Welcome to Los Angeles - the whole city as one “Skid Row”. One of the most interesting fairy tales in the world.

Real LA looks like this ("Stories of Skid Row" 5 min) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCBfSz2OAyY

This is a social problem. But not only. The way the city was/is designed, the way people are using the city contribute to this situation. A design could do a lot. And this does not mean that the city has to get rid of sidewalks where homeless live, on contrary - it is about designed walkable city. Then not only homeless will use the city. A city should be a service for citizens.  

Why the narrow streets in Lyon and social districts in Geneva are so comfortable, full of people and small business? Why the courtyards in “modern” Soviet or contemporary living districts in Moscow are so walkable, full of life? When you read building/urban codes in France, for example, a person is the measurement, not a car.   

While as an architect I have to create “fortresses” instead of open schools because of the shooters, while I have to “forget about the city and public space near a building because only homeless will use it”, I am not an architect I want to be. Because I am not “protecting” I am “forming” unsafe mindset and thus society and environment - one vicious circle.

Creation of urban tissue is endless and should be approached as any multifunctional building and vice versa. It is a harmful thing to distinguish urban designers/architects and design strategist in a contemporary world when the professions are transforming and the era of multidisciplinary knowledge is establishing. Urban space is nowadays the same controlled and programmed space just without a roof. And this works for the sake of an urban environment.

“Skid Row”, Los Angeles