Walkable is good, ‘sit-able’ is better

“Walkability,” if not the holy grail of placemaking, is at least an important chalice on that table. Here’s an article that suggests that we should instead strive for “sit-ability.”When we’re sitting, we watch the world around us. We talk (if our nose isn’t buried in our smart phone). Not just going from one place to another, we stop and engage.Cities wrestle with the role that seating plays in a downtown. It may slow down desirable shoppers. It may be used by homeless people. Teenagers may gather, challenging us to differentiate between innocent youthful enthusiasm and intrusiveness.“Sitting, in order to rest, converse, beg and sell is what people have always done, and captures a major part of urban life.  Sitting with style, grace, safety and reflection is a major element of “place capital”—an increasing buzzword for urban success.”