You’ve had practice sharpening your observation skills out in nature, but what about when walking down the road?

Questions to Guide Your Exploration

  • What does this street sound like? What do you notice in the foreground? The background? What sounds are coming from the backyards? Does it sound joyful? Does it sound like the extraction economy? What song would you associate with this street?
  • For whom and what have people built shrines? What are these shrines made from?
  • What do the street signs look like? Are they cluttered? Covered in paint and stickers? Absent?
  • What’s the oldest political sticker you pass on your walk?
  • What sort of signs have people posted in their yards and on their homes? Are these storebought? Handmade? Are they warnings? Are they signs of kindness?
  • How active are the front porches?
  • How fast do cars travel down this street? Are there speed humps? Are people driving like their kids live there?
  • Does this neighborhood have a bank? ATM? Cash checking store?
  • Where does the waste go? Are there trash cans? Are there enough trash cans?
  • What the tallest building you’ve passed? Widest? Skinniest? How have people painted their homes on this street? Does it feel conservative? Funky?
  • What are the most out-of-season holiday decorations you see?
  • What types of ethnic restaurants and bakeries have you walked by?
  • Where do people wait for the bus? Is there a shelter? What condition is it in? Does this shield people from rain and sun? Can they see if a bus approaches? Is there a bench? Is the bus stop accessible to those using wheelchairs or other mobility devices?
  • Are there benches on this street?
  • What kind of art do you encounter? Are there monuments? Who or what is being honored with these plaques and statues? Does this reflect our contemporary values?
  • In what condition is the sidewalk? Is it broken or eroded? Is it a tripping hazard? Are there the metal stubs from broken signs? Is the sidewalk narrow? Are there shrubs covering all or part of the sidewalk? Does the sidewalk have writing on it? Is there anything engraved or imprinted in the concrete? Are there any signs telling you who created the sidewalk?
  • Where do people in this neighborhood get books to read? Where do they get coffee?
  • Where do people congregate?
  • What do you see in the yards? Are they all grass lawns?
  • Is there litter? What are the 3-5 most prevalent types of litter? If an archaeologist came upon this, what would she determine were the values and habits of this culture at this point in time?
  • What does this street smell like? Exhaust? Barbecue? Doughnuts? Cut lawn?
  • How many cats have you seen? Do they look feral?
  • What do you notice about the manhole covers?
  • Who is allowed to use this street? Who is welcomed in their use of this street? How do you know?