WHICH IS THE HIGH SIDE OF A HIGH STREET?

QUESTION: What's more important to a successful streetscape?

• an active edge of shops
• sun-washed sidewalks
• a broad footpath 

I've taken the time to study these two streetscapes in downtown Toronto, both of which are shown looking westwards.  

Frankly I was a bit surprised by the results...


SHOPS:  In the first example, a fine-grained rhythm of shops occurs along the south side, appearing on the left side of the photo, and the condition is reversed in the lower example, with shops situated on the left side. 

SUNSHINE:  In both examples the north side basks in sunlight because we're looking west, and the effect is evident in both pix on the right side.  

WIDTH:  In the upper example there is a wider sidewalk on the right side, and the condition switches to the left side in the lower picture.  

Looking west along King Street East with restaurants on the south side and TIFF on the north side.

Looking west along Dundas Street West with Canadian Tire on the south side and Atrium's shops on the north.  

OBSERVATION:  In the upper example there was a preponderance of foot traffic along the north sidewalk, as evident in this stock shot –  whereas in the lower picture – the majority of pedestrians have elected to frequent the south side. 

CONCLUSION:  In hindsight I suppose, it was never really a mystery... people flow towards uninhibited expanses of open space and avoid congested spaces. Sunshine is nice, but looking upon a sunlit space has a closer equivalence to basking directly in the sun than one might suppose.

So if we were to rank these three attributes, the prioritisation is...

1. a broad footpath

followed by:

• an active edge of shops
• sun-washed sidewalks

The task remains to rank the latter two attributes.