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Walkers in the city and everywhere

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Re: Walkers in the city and everywhere

#31

Post by dopidopHN »

codetrotter wrote: post #27
AlbertCory wrote: post #7

flâneur: a great word. when I see all these people walking around staring at their phones, I want to slap them with that word. Whatever it is on your phone, it'll wait. Whatever's happening in front of you: that will not wait, and it'll never come again.

Before phones people had ways to bury their noses still. Newspapers, for example. Let's not pretend that phones are some great big problem. Embrace it. Let people escape their daily life a bit if they want.

Even if I agree with the sentiment. I think it’s mislead.

Newspaper are finite. Phone are a bottomless pit.

Newspapers are text and images, phone are multimedia devices running software made to keep your attention.

Etc, etc. All that lead to a “wolf in sheep clothing” conclusion on those pocket computer.

Re: Walkers in the city and everywhere

#32

Post by dopidopHN »

nemo44x wrote: post #24
akprasad wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The essay defines the concept of psychogeography then explores how people have historically engaged with that concept. As a small example of what this essay is pointing to: suppose your neighborhood could be 100% walkable and that you could easily walk to work, the doctor, your friends' houses, etc. What is desirable about that kind of environment? What would it take to make it possible? What kinds of systemic forces…

Who on earth thinks there’s any probability to the place you want to work, the friends you want to talk to, and the doctor you trust being within walking distance to your home, among all the other things? It sounds like an unbelievably narcissistic or naive idea - that all the things you need wound somehow be just a few steps away because you’re that important. I mean, this is like a very childish thought. What count…

Good city planning is a thing.

Re: Walkers in the city and everywhere

#33

Post by tmnvix »

nemo44x wrote: post #24
akprasad wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The essay defines the concept of psychogeography then explores how people have historically engaged with that concept. As a small example of what this essay is pointing to: suppose your neighborhood could be 100% walkable and that you could easily walk to work, the doctor, your friends' houses, etc. What is desirable about that kind of environment? What would it take to make it possible? What kinds of systemic forces…

Who on earth thinks there’s any probability to the place you want to work, the friends you want to talk to, and the doctor you trust being within walking distance to your home, among all the other things? It sounds like an unbelievably narcissistic or naive idea - that all the things you need wound somehow be just a few steps away because you’re that important. I mean, this is like a very childish thought. What count…

Not my reality. I've lived in four different cities as an adult over almost three decades (not Europe - Australasia). This has always been the case for me. Though of course I also have friends and family that are more far-flung, and I see relatively less of them.

If you don't design your life around a car to begin with it really isn't hard (in many places). On the other hand, if you assume you'll be reliant on a car and then choose to live in an outer suburb you have no chance.

Re: Walkers in the city and everywhere

#34

Post by Moldoteck »

great_psy wrote: post #2

For anybody interested in being more present while walking, I recommend photography. You will become more aware of your surroundings if you look for cool things to photograph. I recomand using an actual camera, the quality of it is irrelevant. Using your phone will be a distraction since you open it to take a photo, but see a notification from x and then you will at least think about how to respond, even if you don’t…

Totally agree. And ideally it should be either something small like with 4/3 sensor or small aspc like fuji/sony/canon/panasonic. And it doesn't need to be expensive. Second hand Sony a6000 with a pancake lens can do wonders and doesn't cost a ton of money. Or the lumix gx80/gx85. Or if you are into film, idk Rollei 35 are small, or maybe something from Olympus if you want something automatic. *I'm not a professional photographer, just sharing my opinion, but I go on walks pretty frequently with a camera with no expectations, it's just more fun

Re: Walkers in the city and everywhere

#35

Post by matsemann »

I've been trying to bike every stretch of road in my city (Oslo) for over a year now. Basically I just take new roads home, a wider and wider arc. Or go out with the intent of doing this, just bike along everything I can find in a part of town.

It's been surprisingly nice. Normally I bike to get from A to B, or to work out. With this I pay attention to the journey as well. And it has forced me out of the habit paths. You know, first day to work or the store or whatever you select a route, and then you just stick to it. There are so many nice areas or parallel streets I never had seen the first 3 years of living here until starting this.

Re: Walkers in the city and everywhere

#36

Post by uoaei »

nemo44x wrote: post #25
zoklet-enjoyer wrote: post #5

I don't get it. A bunch of paragraphs on going for a walk?

Nothing to get. Just upper middle class people who have surrogated every difficult thing in their lives and now without struggle or meaning need something to fill that. So a utilitarian task - walking somewhere - suddenly becomes a think piece on how to walk somewhere better than other people. The author pays no mind to people who would love the luxury of mindlessly podding around smelling the roses and taking it all…

Luxury? Some of the poorest places I've been are full of people with relaxed paces of life who make a habit of taking in the scenery, whether sitting at a cafe or walking.

Re: Walkers in the city and everywhere

#37

Post by secretsatan »

I’ve always enjoyed just wandering around towns and cities with no particular aim, just pick a direction and go, see where it takes you.

Even in my neighbourhood, not so long ago i walked to a party, it was close by, 30 min walk, but took me through an area i somehow had never walked through before, little parks, woods, shops, a mansion. My city is well served for pedestrian access and there’s little shortcuts everywhere you don’t even know existed.

Re: Walkers in the city and everywhere

#38

Post by secretsatan »

nemo44x wrote: post #24
akprasad wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The essay defines the concept of psychogeography then explores how people have historically engaged with that concept. As a small example of what this essay is pointing to: suppose your neighborhood could be 100% walkable and that you could easily walk to work, the doctor, your friends' houses, etc. What is desirable about that kind of environment? What would it take to make it possible? What kinds of systemic forces…

Who on earth thinks there’s any probability to the place you want to work, the friends you want to talk to, and the doctor you trust being within walking distance to your home, among all the other things? It sounds like an unbelievably narcissistic or naive idea - that all the things you need wound somehow be just a few steps away because you’re that important. I mean, this is like a very childish thought. What count…

Uhmmm, don’t know what to say to that, that’s the reality for me and many others. Not a few steps away, and maybe 15 mins is a bit optimistic for everything, but i have all that in max 30 mins walk

Re: Walkers in the city and everywhere

#39

Post by ben-schaaf »

nemo44x wrote: post #24
akprasad wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The essay defines the concept of psychogeography then explores how people have historically engaged with that concept. As a small example of what this essay is pointing to: suppose your neighborhood could be 100% walkable and that you could easily walk to work, the doctor, your friends' houses, etc. What is desirable about that kind of environment? What would it take to make it possible? What kinds of systemic forces…

Who on earth thinks there’s any probability to the place you want to work, the friends you want to talk to, and the doctor you trust being within walking distance to your home, among all the other things? It sounds like an unbelievably narcissistic or naive idea - that all the things you need wound somehow be just a few steps away because you’re that important. I mean, this is like a very childish thought. What count…

Curious how you think people existed before cars & bikes were invented? Horses were expensive and few had one.

Re: Walkers in the city and everywhere

#40

Post by neilv »

nemo44x wrote: post #26
neilv wrote: post #8

One of my past awesome significant others, I found due to something like some of the awareness talked about here. She'd made a post on a dating site, asking, simply, what was your favorite part of the city, and why. I responded with something about the different atmospheres of rather small areas, where the transitions are, etc. I won, and our first date was to be a lunch break from her science lab work on a weekend.…

Sounds like you did too much talking. :)

"You" plural, nope; "you" singular, probably.
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