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Place Parts, Episode 3: The Storybook and the Real
Welcome back to Place Parts, Episode 3, a short video feature in anticipation of the release of my third book, Sustaining a City’s Culture and Character: Principles and Best Practices, available very shortly in the United States, and eventually, around the world.
Today, we follow up Episode 2, which provided a primer on the multidimensional aspects of place, with another important book focus: how we evaluate successful places and avoid a mere storybook picture rather than a realistic, evolving blend?
In day-to-day city life, I have spoken with several friends-both neighbors and peer professionals-who haven’t needed a generic list of attributes to understand places that resonate with residents and visitors. They describe a sense of place, perhaps derived organically from a historic asset, or a set of traditionalist architecture and urban design principles.
In the video, I briefly share the contrasts displayed today in Newbury, Berkshire, England, a planned market town dating from the 11th century. The friends and professionals noted above often…
