Eat, drink and watch the world go by

Friday night diners at DePasquale Plaza, on Federal Hill, Providence’s Little Italy

Adapted from Robert Whitcomb’s “Digital Diary,’’ in GoLocal24.com

“The human backside is a dimension architects seem to have forgotten.’’

“It is difficult to design a space that will not attract people. What is remarkable is how often this has been accomplished.”

-- William H. Whyte

 As the weather warms, it would be nice if there were more public places in cities and towns in which to sit down and watch the world go by. I thought of this when reading about the research and opinions of the great American sociologist and urbanist William H. Whyte (1917-1999). He was one of the most brilliant American writers on  how cities work and how they don’t.

To Whyte having many places to sit outside, on comfortable benches and sturdy chairs (maybe bolted to the ground), such as in vest-pocket midtown parks and on sidewalks shaded by trees, makes cities more inviting and prosperous. They draw people to local stores and restaurants and make people want to live in such communities.

One good thing that came out of the worst of the COVID crisis is the proliferation of eateries offering outdoor dining, which around here means mostly mid-April to late October. This has turned out to be so popular that it ought to encourage cities and towns to create more places where people can sit outside on nice days and watch the different varieties of humans. Such sites are sweet additions to lives that so often can be harsh.