In our everyday lives, people tend to not think much about their surroundings. We don’t pay attention to the buildings, walls and sidewalks that make up our environment. I have used to do this as well, thinking about where I need to go rather than how the space around me influences my experience. However, after studying urban design and participating in activities like the Adamson Square Walking Tour, I have started to realize that the way places are designed can affect how people interact, how comfortable they feel, and how connected they are to their communities.

One reading that changed the way I think about public spaces was Jane Jacobs’s The Death and Life of Great American Cities. Jacobs emphasizes the importance of sidewalks and everyday interactions in creating successful communities. She explains that cities are not just made up of buildings but also of the people who use the spaces between them. One quote that stood out to me was, “Lowly, unpurposeful and random as they may appear, sidewalk contacts are the small change from which a person’s wealth of public life may grow.” This idea made me think about how something as simple as a sidewalk can influence people’s experiences. When sidewalks are accessible and places are close together, people have more opportunities to walk, meet others, and become familiar with their surroundings. I realized that a place can be more than just somewhere to go; it can also be somewhere people develop relationships and

feel like they belong.

James Howard Kunstler’s TEDTalk, “The Ghastly Tragedy of the Suburbs,” also challenged the way I think about the built environment. Kunstler criticizes places that prioritize cars and convenience over creating enjoyable spaces for people. His argument made me think about how often everyday life revolves around driving. Many places are designed so that people must get in a car to go almost anywhere, even if their destination is not very far away. Kunstler argues that “We have a built environment that is worth less than the cost of a tank of gas. It’s an environment of spaces that are not worth caring about.” This connects to Jacobs’s ideas because both suggest that the design of our surroundings can either encourage or discourage human interaction. If a place is designed mainly for cars, people may have fewer opportunities to slow down, explore, and connect with others.

I began thinking about these ideas more during the Adamson Square Walking Tour in Carrollton. Walking through the square allowed me to notice details that might be easy to overlook when driving through an area. The buildings, sidewalks, shops, and gathering spaces all contribute to the character of the downtown area. Instead of simply thinking about Adamson Square as a destination, I could see how the layout encourages people to walk around and experience different parts of the community. This made me consider the difference between a place designed for people to spend time in and a place designed only for people to pass through. It also made me think about the spaces on campus where students naturally gather compared with areas where everyone seems focused on getting to their next class.

Overall, these readings and activities have changed the way I look at the material world around me. I now understand that streets, sidewalks, and buildings are not just physical structures; they influence our routines, relationships, and sense of community. I still recognize that cars and convenient transportation are important, but I also see the value of designing places that encourage people to walk and interact. Moving forward, I want to pay more attention to the spaces I use every day and ask myself who they are designed for. Sometimes, the smallest details in our surroundings can make the biggest difference in how we experience the world.