As the postcards continue to stack up in the interactive wall in the Growing the Future City exhibition at Foyles Gallery, and on this week’s theme – navigating – there are some interesting, perhaps inevitable, tensions. Some respondents want greater efficiency and support to get where they need to go, for example:
“No cycles on pavements. No smokers on pavements. Apply limits to chuggers, food vendors and A-boards on pavements.”
Creating better routeways and wayfinding for, and around, cyclists, is a huge and repeated concern, and there’s a call for greater ‘green’ on people’s journeys. Concurrently, some people say we should end our fixation with enabling more and more people to travel into the packed city centre, and consider how to activate city peripheries as attractive and meaningful destinations. At Futurecity we are increasingly seeing this reflected in schemes that, enabled by Crossrail, aim to bring London’s ‘buzz’ to its edges.
If we are beyond ‘peak navigability’, with travellers all too often pulling on their mental armour as they begin their journeys, how can culture enrich the commute, and make the act of moving through crowded places more pleasant for those with limited time? And how can we positively challenge people’s mental maps, so that a city with multiple ‘beating hearts’ becomes the norm and a diversity of attractive pathways can be offered?
What would improve your journeys through the city? Let us know your thoughts by tweeting @futurecityblog and using the #growingmycity and #navigating hashtags. Great examples of cultural projects and practitioners are recommended, as well as your own ideas.