Professional Documents
Culture Documents
VSA A0a1v6 A - 5730
VSA A0a1v6 A - 5730
generations) while also requiring a longer-term commit- The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces
ment. How does this impact the benefits of different
programs for different population groups?
William Whyte (1980). Washington, DC:
The practitioners offered their programs as "laborato- The Conservation Foundation.
ries" for researchers, facilitating pertinent research into these
important questions. Several collaborations are likely to
come out of this symposium and most participants left with
Whyte's book is summarized in this issue of Visitor Be-
a refined sense of direction for their programs and/or re-
search. Many of the questions that were raised have yet to be havior because of its relevance to the topic of outdoor public
addressed by audience researchers, while some have been the places. Many of the findings from this project have parallels
focus of people/plant studies. Three books by symposium in visitor settings such as museums, botanic gardens, etc.
participants are particularly relevant:
In 1970 William Whyte formed a small research group,
• The Role of Horticulture in Human Well-Being and The Street Life Project, and began studying New York City's
Social Development: A National Symposium, edited by urban spaces including parks, playgrounds, and city blocks.
Diane Relf, 1992, published by Timber Press. Contact Dr. This book summarizes Whyte's finding from plazas, particu-
Relf, People-Plant Council, Virginia Polytechnic Institute, larly those in New York City. A NOVA film was also made
Blacksburg, VA 24061, to purchase. from this work ("City Spaces: People Places").
• Green Nature/Human Nature by Charles Lewis, soon Demographics of plaza users. Most plaza users during
to be published by Jeremy P. Tarcher, The Putnam Berkeley the lunch hours were young office workers from nearby
Group, Inc. (Mr. Lewis, recently retired as Research Fellow buildings. However, workers did not generally use the plaza
at Morton Arboretum, was the keynote speaker.) associated with their own place of work. Whyte suggested
that the effective market radius for a plaza is about three
Also, many related publications are available through blocks. Size of group is associated with the plazas success:
the North Central Forest Experiment Station, 5801-C N. the best-used plazas have about 45% of people in groups
Pulaski, Chicago IL 60646, (312) 588-7650, which can while the least-used plazas have about 32% in groups.
provide a publications list and a list of symposium partici-
pants. Gender differences. The most-used plazas have a higher
proportion of women. Men tend to take the front-row seats,
Notes while women favor places that are slightly secluded. The
most conspicuous of men are the girl watchers (groups of men
1. "Plant Communities/People Communities: Developing who gather together and overtly observe and comment on
an Agenda for Research and Action," symposium co-spon- females as they pass). Lovers are usually found up front in the
sored by the Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL, and the USDA most easy-to-see places.
Forest Service North Central Forest Experiment Station,
Chicago, IL, November 12-14, 1992. User behavior. Although people say they want to get
away from the crowd, they actually do just the opposite:
"What attracts people most, it would appear, is other people."
When people engage in conversation they do not move out of
the main pedestrian traffic flow; most conversation observed
were smack in the middle of the traffic flow. Rarely do people
stop to talk in the middle of a large open space. People also
tend to sit in the mainstream — sometimes making it difficult
for others to get around them. People are most likely to face
inward with their backs toward the street.