The author's main points in this chapter were mostly about how cities (primarily main streets) should flow. Whyte thinks that the design of cities should be more in the manner of the old city streets, with crowded sidewalks, loud street vendors, big storefront windows, and stores all along the road. This creates an environment for walkers that makes them look at things and sometimes even go into stores.
2. Compare Whyte's ideas on design to Norman's concepts that we studied earlier. What's similar? What's different?
Whyte touched on a lot of the same principles and ideas that Norman has laid out. Cities should function on several levels including visceral, behavioral and reflective. When a person walks down Lexington, they should instantly have a visceral overload. All the sites and smell, noises and other stimuli attract attract attention right away. All these help move the customer along and guide them into stores. Behaviorally, streets have to work. People need to be able to move, but not necessarily as fast as possible, a slowed pace provides for the best shopping experience. Reflective design plays a lesser role, but still factors into the whole shopping experience. Especially with the street vendors, walking down these avenues and purchasing from the bootleg stands give the buyer a thrill.
3. Create a checklist, based on Whyte's chapter, that could be used to analyze an urban area.
-Street Width: Consumers must be able to walk down sidewalk, but flow should be slow.
-Windows: Stores should have big windows with bold displays that attract everyone's attention.
-Store Variety: Homogenized areas are boring; there should be a wide array of businesses.
-Objects: People want things to use, even as simple as a water fountain, trash can or bench.
-Vendors: Vendors are good. Businesses should take the vendor approach and set up an extension of their store outside.
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