Assignment Week 3

Footway / pavement / sidewalk; british or american english

The sidewalk is indeed an interesting and undervalued subject of interest as the common area has so much potential to be something more than merely a walking space.

The subject of sidewalk reminds me about the historical context of Singapore’s five foot way, an ubiquitous pedestian pathway that is literally five feet wide in the past. In Malaysia and Singapore, five foot ways date back to the time of the Colonial Government; the feature was integral in many settlements in neighbouring British colonies, and remains a prominent element in modern architecture in Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei. It is a space where people used to set up small businesses for trading, providing inexpensive commodities and services. On a brief research, I found that attempts in Singapore to clear the walkways of hawkers in the 1880s led to the so-called “Verandah Riots”. 

On my exchange in USA, I enjoyed how the sidewalks are used by food trucks to stop by the campus during lunch hours. It is a flexible alternative that is convenient and easily accessible for students and faculty.

 

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