How familiar settings suggest the universal while reawakening who we are. Tonight, from Mercer Island, two light paths cross the water, forming gateways to my hometown. To the left, a bright streak travels east, and to the right, a more subtle, staccato pattern moves west. …

When does a dream reach fruition? On the evening of November 17, 2021, I stepped onto the pier at Yarmouth, on the Isle of Wight. I walked to the covered area at the end, the evenly spaced lights showing the way. …

How experiencing things left behind spurs a diverse understanding of places, and human nature. — In August 2006, I traveled to the islands of Malta and Gozo in the Mediterranean Sea. I arrived after some research with an open mind. …

Sometimes, many years later, we understand why certain images remain indelible. — On April 22, 2004, I took a picture of a ruined stone house — or some form of granary — on Il Sentiero degli Dei (the “Path of the Gods”), while walking from Positano to Amalfi. The house was abandoned, but the view from its windows revealed Positano in the…

Sustaining a City’s Culture and Character focuses on how to understand the innate identity of an urban place. The book provides a catalog of techniques that emphasize “bottom up,” resident-based input. …

I bet a lot of us have complained to our neighbours about our local areas losing their “character” or signed petitions against new developments we consider to be “inauthentic”, but why? What do these terms mean and why do we care about them so much? Urban redevelopment often stirs deep…

Why respect the distinctive character of cities? — We invariably are products of our upbringings, which in my case has led me to write a third, well-illustrated book on understanding city life and form. …

How do we unearth and rediscover landscapes which we can no longer see? Personal and collective memories in defining a place’s culture and character have tremendous value. Notably, the built environment is not today’s focus. Instead, with Shannon Nichol, we discuss the landscape environment’s “buried” memories. Shannon is a founding…

The human memory is so powerful that a place on pavement suddenly can trigger a stream of imagery from the distant past, or a meaningful story of something that once happened there. We should champion such keys to the context of a place. — When discussing the appearance of a city, particular urban issues, or profiling a specific place, the variations in individual perception and understanding should not be lost. Differences in place experience are based on a variety of focal points, including landscapes, icons, emblems, symbols, and context clues within ready perception. …