Path Shape
. . . paths of various kinds have been defined by larger patterns Promenade, Shopping Street, Network of Paths and Cars, Raised Walk, Pedestrian Street, and Paths and Goals. This pattern defines their shape: and it can also help to generate these larger patterns piecemeal, through the very process of shaping parts of the path.
Problem:
Streets should be for staying in, and not just for moving through, the way they are today.
Background & Research: Not Included on the site—Go read the book!
Solution:
Make a bulge in the middle of a public path, and make the ends narrower, so that the path forms an enclosure which is a place to stay, not just a place to pass through.
Usage:
Above all, to create the shape of the path, move the building fronts into the right positions, and on no account allow a set-back between the building and the path—Building Fronts; decide on the appropriate area for the “bulge” by using the arithmetic of Pedestrian Density; then form the details of the bulge with Arcades, Activity Pockets and Stair Seats; perhaps even with a Public Outdoor Room; and give as much life as you can to the path all along its length with windows—Street Windows . . .
pg. 589