Whilst wandering the streets in and around brick lane i couldn't help noticing in the variation of street furniture, how at times it was excessive other times minimal and more then often restrictive in the way that we move about on what could be just a clear path. This was more apparent generally in the residential parts where clear straight paths were littered with barriers and bars controlling the movement of the pedestrian forcing them to move in a certain way, these bars were coloured green a colour we assosiate with good things such as organic or recyling green is also meant to be a calming colour. So although these barriers are forcing the pedestrian to move in a certain restrictive way its painted in a way in that it is done very subtly and goes less unnoticed. In other streets the side of the pavement has an excessive number of ballards all painted black, black is usually seen as associated with power and authoritive figures. The ballards are obviously there to stop people parking, a few would sufice but the fact there is one less than a meter away from eachother up and down the street really drives home the point NO PARKING. Street furniture, more than just an object?
Like this and the colours that Alison was picking up on. There was an experiment in an American Prison where they made the violent offenders wear pink, and the number of vicious attacks fell considerably over the period that the inmates had a change of clothes.
ReplyDeleteI also considered how we have to avoid the permanent obstructions and railings around the area. There are also a lot of dumpsters that block the pavements ( which are there 24.7 ). It occurred to me, that these mean we rarely walk "straight" up Brick Lane, we deviate along the road. I took this a bit further and looked at alternatives to the aggressive controlling and thought that actually the shop fronts will obviously attract or detract us as we go along the road. I personally am not that keen on walking past butchers or shops with people handing out leaflets and if given the opportunity will cross the road to avoid them. I am told on good authority that a half decent shoe shop acts as a magnet and attracts certain people to cross the road. These patterns and the affects of colour is pretty interesting.