I’ve had some really dynamic and memorable chapters of life living in very unique or well-known cities.
But some of my most memorable urban experiences and chapters of life were in what I would call completely ordinary cities.
Some of my most memorable urban experiences are about a fabric of daily life in a ‘regular’ everyday city where I could move by foot for all my and my family’s needs; where my experience of the city was full of regular interactions with and inhabiting of quality urban spaces.
Common-sense urban planning is the foundation for a multigenerational experience of quality urban life. I’ve become increasingly interested in the ‘ordinary city’ life, as these are urban areas that can offer so much in terms of such a life.
Here’s to all the ordinary cities quietly working to improve and be their best selves, setting the stage for their residents to have a great daily quality of life in urban contexts that are often neglected in mainstream urban discourse on ‘best practices’ and exemplary planning.
~Annika
Read more of our writing on ‘ordinary cities’: https://pedestrianspace.org/category/ordinary-cities/