In Praise of Whims(y)

A number of years ago I was wandering along the waterfront in Victoria, waiting for a friend to finish work. On a whim, I decided to follow a group of strangers onto a water taxi and let it take me wherever they were headed.

We ended up at Fisherman's Wharf, an enchanting floating pier with colourful houseboats, shops and snacks. I hadn’t heard of it before stepping off the boat, but spent a happy afternoon exploring.

There’s something special about stumbling upon a place without any prior knowledge or expectations. With so much information at our disposal, it’s easy to over-research a trip, leaving little room for the unexpected. Armed with “best of” lists and visitor reviews we can ensure a perfectly curated experience, but miss out on the joy of genuine discovery.

How can we (cities) plan for discovery?

I heard Joseph Pine (The Experience Economy) speak recently and he noted that when we travel we’re more open to transformational experiences. We’re primed to explore and try new things if the opportunity presents itself. As a city, we can design for those opportunities:

1. Easy public transportation

The water taxis were great for this kind of exploration. They came to the dock frequently and served a limited number of stops, so there didn’t seem to be a risk of getting stuck or lost somewhere¹. It was affordable and required no pre-purchased tickets or transit pass. And it was a fun activity, even if all I got out of it was a boat ride. When we re-envision our city transportation plans, let’s consider how to invite more of these unplanned excursions.

2. A network of landmarks and pathways

The vision: from any point in the downtown core, a visitor can see at least one thing worth walking towards. Maybe it’s public art or an interesting building or the hint of a great view - something that draws attention and sparks curiosity. The landmark doesn’t have to be fully visible (a little mystery is good for exploration), but the path to get there should be intuitive.

3. Cultivate character

The reason I look back fondly on my afternoon in Victoria is that the minor risk I took paid off. I handed my day over to happenstance and ended up somewhere lovely². If we want to encourage exploration we need to bring our public spaces to life. In some cases this will fall to cities to plan - through programming, public art, distinct architecture and design - but I also see this as a chance to design opportunities for experimentation.

In Mexico City I was struck by the way people were taking ownership of the public realm, filling the streets with art and music and food and character. In Ottawa we ask buskers to register with the city before playing at transit stops, and give businesses tickets for putting their signs on the wrong part of the sidewalk. If we apply the same concept of “making room for the unexpected” to the way we manage our public spaces, we might be surprised (and delighted) by the results.

4. A city, not a theme park

I like the image of a city where anyone can wander around and happen upon unique spaces of activity, where the biggest risk is that you might waste a little time or money on a mediocre experience. The reality for many people in many cities is that they don’t feel safe to wander. And there are no perfect solutions - what makes one person feel secure might make another uneasy.

Whatever approach we take to designing for exploration, it has to happen in the context of the real city and play a part in addressing real challenges. Design for whimsy, not Disney.

1 - On a recent visit to Vancouver we actually did get stuck at a ferry stop when service was paused due to inclement weather. Walking back along the dock we ran into an old friend of Liam’s and spent a few hours on his boat. He even gave us a little tour of English Bay before he dropped us at the other dock. Sometimes getting stuck is part of the adventure.

2 - I have been genuinely delighted stumbling upon ugly places too. Case in point: there’s a parking lot in my neighbourhood that slopes up from the street at a steep angle and hits the bottom of a residential tower - garage door, garbage bins, etc. When I first happened upon it on a bleak winter day there was an older lady making her way up the slope, and the parked cars seemed about ready to slide down into the street. The spatial experience was so jarring that I kept going back to see if I could recreate that moment (I couldn’t).