The edge issue is part of a planning idea whose aim is to make the city safe. It also improves the sustainability of the city. The edges of a city are considered to limit the visual field and also define individual space (Gehl, p. 75). Other planning measures such as making the city compact with routes that are logical and having adequate space dimensions also help in improving the quality of life in the city. The development of edge points which include the lower floors of buildings is of great importance since it is the main interaction point between the city and the buildings. The perception of a city is derived from its edges. This is because they play an important role in the determination of individual space. The edge also serves other purposes. It acts as a comfort zone where people can use it as a place to sit or stand. This is because the environment is made favourable here. It may also serve as an exchange point between the buildings and the city. By doing so, it brings life to the buildings as the people in them can easily interact with the city.
The development of the edges also improves the experience of being in the city. This makes walking through the city an interesting experience and consequently, the walking distance seems reduced. The time is taken for the walk also appears to be shorter. The lack of well-developed edges reverses this experience. The pedestrians’ experience in cities that have a soft edge is improved by making the ground floor more transparent. This will ensure that the products in the buildings are easily identifiable. This makes them more appealing to the onlookers.
A soft edge also results in an increase in the level of activity within a city. This is because it makes the people more involved with the buildings around them thus reducing the speed of their movement. This is because they make numerous stops to see what is being displayed. They are also involved in moving in and out of the buildings to either purchase or inquire about what has been displayed.
A real-life edge situation considered is the city of Nairobi in Kenya. Its state is being improved to alleviate it to the metropolitan standards. However, the current state of the city still provides a good perspective of the edge issue. Being the central point of activities in the country, the city has very tall buildings. Most of these buildings have their ground floors commercialized. They are divided into many small shops which are made transparent by the presence of the large glass windows. This ensures that the people walking around the city have a clear view of what is being offered. This increases the activity level on the streets of the city. The many small shops give rise to many doors which greatly improve the walking experience around the city. The doors also ensure that the entry and exit points are never limited. Active facades in the city have also contributed to improved activity levels within the city.
Soft edges bring life to a city. The presence of an active ground floor which acts as an interaction point between the city and the buildings transforms the city into a lively place. If the facades of the ground floor are closed, the city becomes lifeless. Therefore, appropriate measures need to be put in place to ensure that the edges are made more appealing even if the upper floors do not conform to the same standard to ensure that the city is made vibrant.
Works Cited
Gehl, Jan. Cities for People. New York: Island Press, 2010.