Street corner in the afternoon near the hotel. The boys are playing a card game. You can see the cars in the street. The guy in the background is repairing something. The temperature is about 30 degrees C. Humidity is low. And it's quiet.
This street carries a lot more traffic - but in the sidelane it's surprisingly quiet and peaceful. Quite a lot of chat and casual trading of ice-creams and newspapers. The main traffic flow is the other side of the median.
My pick would be that the red car is parked illegally. A lot of parking attendants hover - usually.
Beijing was full of small parks that are very well used. Especially in the evenings and between 2:00 and 4:00 in the afternoon. The broadest demographic imagineable use them.
While I'm on the subject of parks, pocket parks, corner parks in Beijing - have a look at this one that was near our hotel - so I got used to exploring it. I shot this around middle of the afternoon. Auckland has a lot to learn about designed its little parks so they are attractive to use, and safe to use.
The afternoon is equivalent to the Spanish siesta. Sleeps and relaxation seem to be a big part of China's work-life balance.
This is another informal sitting area near the hotel. I found the public realm generous and diverse - I guess it compensates, or takes the place of, private open space in Auckland urban form. (NB - it is worth noting the importance of public open space in Beijing where there is medium and high density housing - we often don't get this mix right in Auckland medium and high density development...)
Casual conversation in the street is a big part of Beijing life....
And always a place for an ice-block and a newspaper...
Street corner in the afternoon near the hotel. The boys are playing a card game. You can see the cars in the street. The guy in the background is repairing something. The temperature is about 30 degrees C. Humidity is low. And it's quiet.
This street carries a lot more traffic - but in the sidelane it's surprisingly quiet and peaceful. Quite a lot of chat and casual trading of ice-creams and newspapers. The main traffic flow is the other side of the median.
My pick would be that the red car is parked illegally. A lot of parking attendants hover - usually.
Beijing was full of small parks that are very well used. Especially in the evenings and between 2:00 and 4:00 in the afternoon. The broadest demographic imagineable use them.
While I'm on the subject of parks, pocket parks, corner parks in Beijing - have a look at this one that was near our hotel - so I got used to exploring it. I shot this around middle of the afternoon. Auckland has a lot to learn about designed its little parks so they are attractive to use, and safe to use.
The afternoon is equivalent to the Spanish siesta. Sleeps and relaxation seem to be a big part of China's work-life balance.
This is another informal sitting area near the hotel. I found the public realm generous and diverse - I guess it compensates, or takes the place of, private open space in Auckland urban form. (NB - it is worth noting the importance of public open space in Beijing where there is medium and high density housing - we often don't get this mix right in Auckland medium and high density development...)
Casual conversation in the street is a big part of Beijing life....
And always a place for an ice-block and a newspaper...
Awarded Top 100 Planning Blog 24 July 2017. 88th out of 100 planning blogs spanning the planet. Very pleased. Click the medal to see them each described and to access an interesting resource.
I enjoy the challenges of planning, especially the who gains, who loses bit, No easy solutions here! Unlike my earlier life in physics - but it's all relative. Previous life for 12 years as elected councillor in Auckland local government. Re-qualified at University of Auckland as urban planner. Now senior policy analyst at NZ Planning Institute.
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