On the right is a photo of a public
square in the Gateway Mall in Salt Lake City. I particularly like it
because it is convivial for adults who enjoy watching the dancing
waters all day long. It is also appealing to kids who run in and out
of the spouts with abandon and glee.
I see no reason why much more public space in our cities can't be convivial for people of all ages, teen agers as well. Good policy is possible, but we seem to be subject to the whims of each new batch of urban planners who in turn are subject to the fads in their graduate schools. I know because I have help start one urban planning fad, a questionable one.
The photo on the left shows names on
bricks. Donors to public projects get their names on bricks in the
project. I first saw this brick idea in Seattle in the renovation of
Pike Place Market.
Years later I was watching an ancient temple being remodeled in Tokyo. The temple was roughly 1,000 years old. On the inner side of the roof tiles were painted names of donors. The idea probably did originate in Japan, it most likely came to Japan from China.