Visioning Edges in Cities, and the Spaces Beyond

A street-end, he, notes, may feature preservation of viewpoints, improvements such as public gardens, or enhanced safety measures (e.g., landscaping, lighting or fencing from danger). He describes city, neighbor and nonprofit efforts to improve shoreline street-ends and viewpoints where public rights-of-way come to rest.

He describes one example:

Old and new ideas meet here, along with examples of city life.  Here we see safety enhancements -- signage and a railing -- complemented by graffiti, and a custom lost and found for a knit hat left behind. Today's urbanist may also see a future gondola station, a walkable destination, or the potential for sustaining natural pockets amid the built environment.  But what compels such vision?

In response, Wolfe suggests that, as with the finibus terrae, "such edges, and views, will always inspire us to create tangible and useful meanings for the spaces beyond."