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Urban Design Observations, San Francisco Edition: Looking Down
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.
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.
sometimes the guys stamping the street names have a little fun to see if you're still paying attention
Ha, do you reckon they did it on purpose, or just had long days?
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.
Love the light and shade used in the images.