Talking streets

Abstract

A space that stays deep rooted in one’s mind, is a place, accessed by all senses, one that stimulates and gets the attention of all senses. To touch all senses the place must have dynamism. A place stagnates with unchanging visual elements, with unchanging audible noise and with the wind carrying the same smell and it will not access the senses as much as a constantly changing, dynamic space will do. Any settlement, thus to become a place of interest has to have the qualities needed to stimulate most of the senses if not all. A street as its best, must have dynamic, constantly changing qualities. Changing facades and people, the flow of traffic, all provide a new experience each day, touching the senses with their changing elements. The street is a place where all senses should engage dynamically. 1 believe streets deserve respect - they shape the form of the city and how we move through it. They accommodate buildings, people, vehicles, utilities, vegetation, storm water, signage, street furniture and lighting. Streets are the most used and most visible public asset a city has. To build great cities and towns, first build great streets. in the recent past, many streets have been designed with vehicle movement as priority. This tends to diminish the potential of streets to function as social space and has resulted in some streets that are hostile environments for people. Streets make up the majority of the public realm in our towns and cities. How we feel about and value a place has much to do with how we move around it and perceive it at ground level, because a city is its streets. A street is a play of drama during ones progression from one place to the other serving its main purpose of accessibility in harmony with characters call elements, activities, and functions. Sometimes the streets bear strong character while sometimes being very humble. When streets bear prominent buildings, gathering spaces, social cultural importance then they become vital. Street is a pathway which connects people, and supports them in every aspect in their day today life. At this purpose they serve for human requirement and in reverse they build their character in a probable way where it is most suitable. Street is a manmade space where it is responsible for the human safety, social connectivity, and a stream for learning.