32

to insure the safety of both residents and strangers, the buildings on a street must be oriented to it. They cannot turn their backs or blank sides on it and leave it blind.

... the side walk must have users on it fairly continuously , both to add more effective eyes and to induce plenty of people in buildings along the street to watch the sidewalks. Nobody enjoys sitting on a stoop or looking out a window at an empty street. But large numbers of people entertain themselves, off and on, by watching street activity.

In settlements smaller than cities, public behaviour (if not crime) is controlled to some extent by a web of reputation, gossip, approval, disapproval, and sanctions.

page 39

All of these are powerful if people know each other and word travels. But a city's streets must control not only the behaviour of city

33

people but also of visitors who want to have a big time away from the gossip and sanctions of home. It is a wonder cities have solved such difficult problems at all.

You can't make people use streets without a reason. You can't make people watch streets if they do not want to. The safety of the street works best - and with least taint of hostility or suspicion - where people are using and enjoying the city streets voluntarily.

... so there must be many - and different - enterprises in a city district if they are to give walkers reason for criss-crossing paths and populating barren stretches on the street. Small businessmen and their employees are typically strong proponents of peace and order themselves; they hate broken windows, holdups, and nervous customes. If present in sufficient abundance, they are great street watchers and sidewalk guardians. The activity generated by people on errands or people aiming for food or drink in itself attracts