Chicago Street Sidewalk Compare And Contrast

When comparing the Minneapolis skyway to Minneapolis sidewalks many conclusions can be made. Although they essentially provide the same purpose for individuals passing through the city, various minor details have an effect on the larger whole. One of the biggest contributors to this contrast is that skyways are privately owned whereas sidewalks are public.
Sidewalks are more lively and promotive of interactions between individuals. Sidewalks tend to host spaces for various public activities promoting the character of the city. In contrast, skyways seem to only serve a purpose as a warm or protected form of traveling, and cannot be comparable to a sidewalk which has proven to have many more uses than simply transit for walking individuals. Skyways stifle the livelihood and personality of a city and do not successfully mirror the characteristics and
My initial perception of the skyway was the eerie and lifeless mood pervading through the space. I was in the skyway around 4pm on a Saturday. There was piano music playing from the speakers at a volume louder than background noise which immediately drew my attention. It was similar to elevator music and gave an artificial feeling to the space. Along with that, voices of people were muffled and muted furthering this uncomfortably unnatural and lackluster feeling. In the skyway I explored, there were mostly casual individuals passing through, which can relate to the fact that it wasn’t a workday. Visually, the interior of the space was neither stimulating nor memorable. This space was so unmemorable, that I can’t remember whether the floor was carpeted or not. As most skyways are designed, this one was covered by glass windows on both sides and from above. Figure 1 shows an example of a typical skyway in