tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1663089657141718051.post5195887018712909974..comments2022-03-24T23:36:03.004-07:00Comments on The Upright Cyclist: Downtown Alley, Episode 1B+http://www.blogger.com/profile/18353381870331760316noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1663089657141718051.post-65352459950362417952012-10-20T12:10:11.995-07:002012-10-20T12:10:11.995-07:00No, I hadn't...but I'm certainly delighted...No, I hadn't...but I'm certainly delighted with her thoughts on the subject. It gets back to one of my central notions about "Upright Cycling," which is such cycling is largely possible only when communities prioritize human-centered activity, rather than machine-focused transactions. <br /><br />While not being "anti-machine" in and of itself, the mechanical metaphor for the cosmos, the human being, society, and just about everything else that has been dominant in our culture since the Newtonian revolution has gradually pushed human and spiritual categories to the brink in the pursuit of "the perfect machine." <br /><br />Art, faith, the Creation, long-term human relationships, and mystery have all become the enemy of the machine-as-ideal metaphor, leading to a society that replaces art with advertising, faith with ideology, Creation with synthetic "lifestyles," long-term relationships with single-point and anonymous transactions, and mystery with materialism. I see it as being all of a piece, with no one thread being severable from the rest. <br /><br />To me, such little things as alleys, pedestrian bridges (and associated improvements), and how we take time out from "work" to "live" are vital parts of the tapestry. I'm glad to hear and see others with similar points of view, as I can at times feel a bit alone in this!B+https://www.blogger.com/profile/18353381870331760316noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1663089657141718051.post-28827077817034057962012-10-20T10:43:54.491-07:002012-10-20T10:43:54.491-07:00Did you see Mary Lou Zeek's piece in the paper...Did you see Mary Lou Zeek's piece in the paper today?!<br /><br />"If you are in a car, you probably only notice the street construction delays and the hassles of finding a parking place.<br /><br />When I think about cities that were born in an era before cars, what strikes me is that people took care to have interesting things to look at along the way....<br /><br />Imagine the alleys vibrant with art painted on the sides of the buildings and flowers and greenery hanging above. The alleys could make downtown so much more friendly to bicycles and pedestrians and we could make the alleys feel like a walking tour of an art installation."Salem Breakfast on Bikeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15618055627843335993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1663089657141718051.post-37618421307989992962012-10-17T22:03:45.534-07:002012-10-17T22:03:45.534-07:00SBOB, you amaze me. You must have a "Comprehe...SBOB, you amaze me. You must have a "Comprehensive Guide to Everything Really Cool on the Internet." The links are fascinating. Alleys have fascinated me since I was a kid, and I could not resist making use of some photos I took a few weeks ago.<br /><br />Don't worry about the bridges. I have a some pictures of the Shelton Ditch and Pringle Creek bridges near the hospital lined up for eventual use. I also hope to do some work on the Court Street footbridge. I'm just rather undisciplined, that's all.<br /><br />Glad you find all of this at least a bit interesting. I'm enjoying the opportunity to celebrate rather ordinary and taken-for-granted things.B+https://www.blogger.com/profile/18353381870331760316noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1663089657141718051.post-69273575277944597802012-10-17T21:49:22.440-07:002012-10-17T21:49:22.440-07:00Alleys are in! Here for comparison is a blog proj...Alleys are in! Here for comparison is <a href="http://alleysofseattle.com/" rel="nofollow">a blog project devoted to alleys</a> in Seattle and elsewhere. <br /><br />Unfortunately William Bragg deleted a bunch of his old blog posts, but he's still got several images from the alley in <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/william/sets/72157603723467906/with/408180013/" rel="nofollow">a flickr stream</a>.<br /><br />(Does this mean you gave up on the bridges? I hope not!)Salem Breakfast on Bikeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15618055627843335993noreply@blogger.com