Walking in the city by Michel de Certeau

Michel de Certeau was a French scholar who wrote about history, psychoanalysis, philosophy and social sciences. He studied philosophy and classics at Grenoble University. He received religious training in a seminary in Lyon and receive his doctorate in the Sorbonne. He was one of the most intellectual French figures in the 20th century.

The text starts with the author seeing Manhattan from the World Trade Center. He expresses his discomfort on how the act from watching from above feels disconnected.

He prefers walking in the city instead of viewing from above. He argues that the city has a story to tell while walking in it. The act of individuality of the walkers whether they are walking, passing wandering or window shopping speaks about the city. In walking, the walkers give meaning to places in the city that otherwise would be non-places. Places are spaces that can provide memories.

Picture retrieved from https://pixels.com/featured/3-new-york-city-view-from-above-priyanka-madia.html

Michael de Certeau tried to capture the poetic qualities of walking into the city into his book. He proposes different ways urbanist and individuals should approach the city. As an urbanist myself, I understand and agree with his point of view. Viewing the city through maps or ‘above.’ Makes the city looks ‘cold’. In contrast to the connection, you experience from walking in the city. In certain ways, its impossible to analyse the genius loci or memory of the space just from studying maps or gazing the space from above. You have to walk and experience the space to feel the intimacy of the city.

Picture from https://www.leftlanenews.com/2017/10/20/google-to-build-model-city/

Certeau advocates for the creation of a ‘Utopian city’ with a three-step plan. The First, As Certeau, states its to produce a space of its own that denies all physical, mental and political pollution. Second, Dismissal of traditions and establish a new timeline.

Lastly, As Certeau affirms the creation of the city ‘itself’. This overall thinking of the author reminds me of Foucault ideas of Heterotopias.

The author is challenging the standard approach we take in urban design and encourages us to design something distinctive and efficient. Design experiences for the walkers of the city. In certain ways, This book presents walkability similar to Jane Jacobs, “Death of Americancities” and how both authors relate to the walkability of the city and place-making. As Jane Jacobs states in a recognised quote “In this dependence on maps as some sort of higher reality, project planners and urban designers assume they can create a promenade simply by mapping one in where they want it, then having it built. But a promenade needs promenaders.” We as Urban designers need to experience the city closer and not from the distance of computers and maps.

Personally, I enjoyed reading this text as it relates to my design work. On how we experienced space within the city.

Questions:

• - Do you feel you get a different connection from walking into the city than driving?

• - What makes a space walkable? Tom Avermaete and Anne Massey