One of the most lovely surprises from my cross country escapade was finding serenity as well as the pure essence of a culture amongst the vastness of urban chaos in U.S. cities. From Salt Lake, Utah to Austin, Texas and Savannah, Georgia, I found myself stumbling into peaceful arboretums, taking a seat at a rocking food truck in a transformed deserted lot, and being refreshed by the mist of a courtyard fountain. Whether the communal open space was a historical park, an unconventional converted lunch spot or a modern urban outdoor center, the impact of place upon its visitors was transformational. These spaces are a convergence of the historical pedestrian and commons centrism, and the current movement to revert back into this era of communal living. The past and the future are one-we are just lost is the superficiality of the present.
Fabulous food truck in downtown Austin, Texas
These spaces are exemplary of the power of innovation as well as historical integrity to capture the urban narrative of story and place. It's the power to inform a culture of it's origin, inspire a trajectory of evolving built and social environments, and induce a new level of self awareness regarding the immediate impact of their presence in the larger urban sphere. Let's take a deep breath, find the sanctuaries amongst the craziness of our lives, and mediate on it's wisdom. It can change the world.
Historical city plan of Savannah's open space network
Multi-fucntional outdoor center at Forsythe Park, Savannah, Ga.
Main Street downtown center, Savannah, Ga.
Forsythe Park, Savannah, Ga.
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