The couple that bikes together stays together
Settle down in a flirtable city.
Two urban planners from Car City are refilling coffee mugs in the office kitchen. They exchange dry jokes about this being their “third place,” insider jargon for destinations between home and work.
“How was your trip?” Partly polite, partly curious. A safe topic in a team of introverts.
“We went to Flirtable City and had the best time. I can’t even tell you how many pictures we took.” She lifts her phone up, eager to open her photo album. The memories come rushing back.
The Airbnb walking distance to everything, the tree canopy on Main Street, the plaza with chairs in the center and benches on the perimeter, women riding bicycles in business attire, sidewalks wide enough to walk hand-in-hand, colorful and nonconforming crosswalks, murals hidden along side streets, shiny new glass buildings behind knobby old stone buildings, and—people. People everywhere. Sitting, walking, exercising, shopping, and working. Some solo, some in groups. Young and old.
“We didn’t have to drive anywhere. Everything was within walking or biking distance, even the riverfront festival.”
“It looks amazing. I wish Car City was that much fun. Whenever I go to the Professional Planners Conference, I realize we’re never going to win any design awards unless it’s for the most car parking lots.” Sigh.
That’s a true story I made up for a photography project I did several years ago called Flirtable City. The concept was flirtability as an economic development tool to measure a community’s health and vitality. Places that are designed for happy human experiences will be rewarded with happy human experiences.
In other words, public displays of affection stimulate economic growth.
With that, here are some shots I took around North America.
wait i love this
Love this! I live in Amsterdam, and think all the time about how it’s an urbanist’s dream.