In Praise of Shadows A Book by Jun'ichirō Tanizaki & Thomas J. Harper www.goodreads.com Things that shine and glitterA naked bulbThe Japanese toiletEmpty dreamsMost important of all are the pauses+9 More 125 Best Architecture BooksDaylight should not tyrannize architectureDeep shadows and darkness are essentialLights and lampsThe gentle light of shoji screens zendarknesslightmaterialmaking
City districts Districts have to help bring the resources of a city down to where they are needed by street neighborhoods, and they have to help translate the experiences of real life, in street neighborhoods, into policies and purposes of their city as a whole. And they have to help maintain an area that is usable, in a civilized way, not only for its own residents but for other users—workers, customers, visitors—from the city as a whole. To accomplish these functions, an effective district has to be large enough to count as a force in the life of the city as a whole. The “ideal” neighborhood of planning theory is useless for such a role. A district has to be big and powerful enough to fight city hall. Nothing less is to any purpose. Jane Jacobs, The Death and Life of Great American Cities Paths, edges, districts, nodes, landmarks