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Urbanism

Urban Design Observations, San Francisco Edition: Looking Down

By Rain Noe - March 26, 2018

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I stayed in the Bernal Heights area and didn't have much time to explore, but observed what I could. I was surprised to see that the municipal government goes to the added expense of having the street names etched into the sidewalk at the intersections.

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I don't keep my head down much in New York, as you'd do better keeping your eyes up to see what (or more pointedly, who, and if they're a threat) is around you. But looking down I also spotted this sign asking you not to dump things down the sewer drains.

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I like that they drew a little crab on it, reminding you that there are living creatures on the outlet end of this drain. It's just a simple outline of a crab but I appreciate the message they're trying to get across.

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Of course, if you look down you also see some things that are gross.

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If I had to guess, here lives a couple, or perhaps roommates, where one of them smokes and the other can't stand the smell, so it must be done out-of-doors.

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And sometimes when you look down, you see things that are sad.

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It was a dead hummingbird. I'd hoped it was sleeping, but nope, it was dead.

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Urbanism

Rain Noe

Rain Noe is a writer and industrial designer based in New York City.

6 Comments

Joe Taylor

a year ago

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I live in SF, and yes all of our street names are featured on the sidewalk at each intersection. Supposedly this was implemented after the 1906 earthquake & subsequent fire, so emergency services could find their way around a neighborhood that had burned to the ground. The letters are not etched in, they are cast in with big type blocks when the concrete is poured. The names are cast from individual letterforms, which has led to quite a few typos...

https://www.flickr.com/photos/throgers/sets/72157622211751522/

The streetnames are helpful from a design standpoint, as people tend to maintain a ~15 degree downward gaze when we walk, the names on the sidewalk allow us to navigate without looking up. They are also handy for navigation when someone has stolen the streetsign above as a souvenir, which is common at famous intersections like the one at Height & Ashbury sts.

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- Rain Noe
  
  Joe Taylor
  
  a year ago
  
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  Ah interesting! Now it makes sense given the earthquake/fire rationale. I also love the thought that these concrete crews are driving around with a box full of letters.
  
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Pete Schirmer

a year ago

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sometimes the guys stamping the street names have a little fun to see if you're still paying attention

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- Rain Noe
  
  Pete Schirmer
  
  a year ago
  
  Z
  
  Z
  
  Reply
  
  Ha, do you reckon they did it on purpose, or just had long days?
  
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Michael DiTullo

a year ago

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I loved the street stampings when i moved to SF. It was such an obvious solution and really helped mea climate to the city faster without looking like a tourist looking for street signs or always looking at my phone.

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McLeish Craigs

a year ago

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Love the light and shade used in the images.

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