Alright, this is a copycat of Jason Fried’s Heard Something, Read Something, Saw Something series. I love the idea so much, so I wanted to try it here.
Same deal: I’ll post these whenever I can fill up the three slots - something interesting I read, something interesting I saw, and some interesting walk I went on.
Obviously, my series will have an urban design twist to it.
Read something
The Timeless Way of Building is the first part of Christopher Alexander’s series on architecture.
It lays the foundation by presenting a theory of what it means to create something timeless.
This theory argues that we must create environments in which neighborhoods (or streets, towns, cities, etc.) can then evolve organically, through contributions of people who live there. This goes against the common way of building that disregards opinions of its inhabitants and succumbs them to a certain way of living their lives.
This theory is nothing new. It’s an age-old process that comes from our very own state of being.
I enjoyed reading this book. I’ve also downloaded an audio version of it and have been revisiting some of the chapters on my walks (great way to sync it all in).
Saw something
My hometown of Oxford, CT is building sidewalks! This is very exciting and I hope this will turn into a network of paths and trails.
For context, Oxford is a typical rural-turned-suburban town. It’s nearly impossible to get anywhere without driving. First, everything is very spread out. Second, even if the places are within walkable distance, there’s no infrastructure that allows to safely walk from one point to another.
Building sidewalks in places that are already nearby will be a game changer. This way it’ll be possible to drive from one’s house, park the car, and not have to get back into it until going back home.
Pictured here is the new sidewalk in front of a lovely coffee shop. What’s better than getting a coffee and going on a walk? It also looks like they’re planning to integrate this sidewalk with a trail which is even more exciting.
Walked somewhere
This weekend I walked the East Bay Bike Path. It is a ~15-mile separated path that connects Providence to Bristol and is also part of the East Coast Greenway (3,000-mile pedestrian and bicycle route between Maine and Florida).
The walk was so peaceful and refreshing. Pure paradise, an iconic Rhode Island experience.
P.S. I took the bus back to Providence. It costs $2, runs every 1/2 hour, ride back was ~40 mins, no transfers. Much more convenient than anticipated.
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15 miles 😳
Love the picture of the rocks on the beach!