Notes:
- A group of friends eat lunch together at shake shack
- A woman suddenly meets a couple as their paths intersect. The group seem to be friends, they exchange greetings and catch up
- a tourist family takes pictures with the fountain
- Several people sit around the fountain:
- a woman is reading a book
- a man is reading the newspaper
- a woman on her phone
- some people are sitting and just watching the fountain or the city
- A woman and a man carefully viewing sculptures and art placed in the park
- a group of friends hanging out near the fountain
- A man and a child stroll through the winding path – looking at different plants and birds in the park
- people are strolling not rushing
Analysis
The city consists of varying groups of people in a small space allowing us to consistently interact with each other and the world around us. The way the city is designed enriches and facilitates these interactions to be constructive and meaningful, as seen in by the people in Madison Square Park. The the park becomes a “theater for social action” because facilities, structures and environment in the park allow for gathering and encourage interactions among the people. For example the tables and chairs set near the Shake Shack allow people gather, sit, eat and have conversations. This designated area for sitting and eating sets a stage for friends to meet with each other and purely engage in social interactions. This space also holds “significant collective drama”. Although specific individuals or groups sitting in this areas are in their own bubble and engaged in their own business, they all are connected by this shared action of relaxing and eating. The park allows people to take part in widespread shared experiences that links everyone.
Similarly the fountain that is surrounded by a large round space with several benches also facilitates social action. The fountain provides park goers a peaceful, scenic place to gather, relax, and take part in leisure activities. Except for the area with the art exhibit, this area of the park contains the most people. Several different paths from all directions of the park empty out into this round open space, encouraging people to congregate and interact near the fountain making this area a “theater for social action”. Many people in this area are talking actively with friends or meeting people they know. For example, as one woman was walking around the fountain, she met a couple who was entering into this space and whom she she knew. The structure of the park allowed this group to spontaneously meet and catch up and also allowed for many other people to connect and socialize. Furthermore, like in the tables near the Shake Shack, the people surrounding this fountain all engaged in different activities: some people are reading books are glancing through phones, others are talking, and the rest are observing the fountain and the city. Despite the differences in actions, all these activities are centered near the fountain of the park not outside or in the many winding paths of the park. In this way the fountain allows for collective drama, encouraging people to gather there, engage in varying pastimes. As people are engaged in their own ventures near this fountain, this becomes an area of “significant collective drama” as people share a space and an experience.
I agree with what you said about the park’s design. I do feel that the park was designed in a way to ensure spontaneous meetups and social interactions with one another. Each part of the park gives off a different mood and emotion and facilitates to that crowd, playing a scene in the “theater of social action”. I was not near the fountain, but it sounds pretty cool!
I like your idea of sharing a space and an experience. I find it interesting to see that although people are not verbally interacting with one another, they are still sharing the same experience, almost like they are interacting within this shared space. I also like the way you mentioned that the fountain creates a space where people come together; perhaps the designer of this park made it so the fountain can be a destination where people can interact.
I made a similar observation about the design of the park catering specifically to conversation and how not a lot of non-urban public spaces have features that facilitate interactions and foster community in that manner. I like your interpretation of “significant collective drama” and how you described the park as individual but intertwined scenes in a theater.