After reading Anette M. Kim’s suggestions on understanding sidewalk life and space anew, I immediately wanted to reflect upon the physical and social dimensions of my own city’s sidewalks; Istanbul
‘A city’s sidewalk system usually exceeds the city’s parks and large open spaces.’
One may think about the overspreading nature of the sidewalks after reading this sentence. Yet, I think about how these vast spaces of eating, socializing and trading are changing and becoming more insignificant day by day for us locals of Istanbul. While the act of vending is no way near HCMC in terms of variety and quantity, the usage purposes of sidewalks changed a lot in time; one can say it is still adapting to the needs of the modern-day Istanbul.