Whyte vs. Gibbs

1. Both Whyte and Gibbs analyze city design, but they take different approaches. Whyte, compared to Gibbs, provides far more general information. He talks more about city centers as a whole whereas Gibbs focuses on the Main Street. Whyte spends time talking about the importance of a good sidewalk width, window-shopping, and appearance of the streets. One point that he does spend time on that Gibbs does not is the value of having second story stores. However, Whyte does not take as much of a structured approach to his analysis, so his examples are difficult to follow. He has more general observations and adds some opinion too. This resulted in a chapter that is somewhat difficult to follow and discern his main ideas. Gibbs on the other hand is meticulous in his details of what Main Street should be like. The reader can really tell that Gibbs has paid attention to all aspects of Main Street. He believes that Main Street needs to adopt design strategies used by malls in order to be more prosperous. While both Whyte and Gibbs would likely agree with each other’s points, Whyte’s chapter is more accessible to readers.

2. The first factor of urban areas that I take into consideration is safety. If I have heard rumors about a place being unsafe, there is not much that can make me go. I simply do not think shopping is worth safety risks. I like urban areas that are relatively busy and always have something going on. I remember being in Paris and walking around the streets at night and seeing all the street performers and musicians playing. The streets were clean, the food sold on the street was delicious, and everybody was happy. The city was cozy and warm and added to the positive emotion in the streets. I like urban areas that are well organized too. I want to be able to figure out where I should go without much difficulty. Street signs should be clearly labeled, sidewalks and crosswalks present at all the busy roads, etc. Urban areas that do not have these elements generally repel me. I do not like being confused and lost in most cities.