Scott Doyon laments his growing knowledge of what makes great places because of how overly aware it makes him of bad planning and design.
Doyon talks about the people who have influenced him over the years such as Ray Oldenburg and "retail guru" Bob Gibbs.
With his tongue planted partly in his check, Doyon complains that he can't enjoy a simple walk now without obsessing over the details:
"Learning about civic art - the artistry of city design - changed all that. Thereafter, I looked at that new house and saw only its clumsy porkchop eaves, the scourge of unskilled, production labor. And its accessory building, dutifully drawing cars to the rear of the house? I could only lament its awkward siting, unnecessarily rendering part of the backyard unusable while, at the same time, failing to frame any meaningful sense of private space.
Oh, and its porch! Six feet deep?! Who were they kidding?!"
Thanks to Hazel Borys
Read the full story: Ignorance was Bliss: How my urban learnin’ almost ruined everyday places
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