David Milne and European Cities

For the class of November 13th.

Ripon High Street, watercolor over graphite on paper (1919)

"I saw one of my own pictures, a little different from ones done before, changed slightly, very slightly, by what I saw before me."
                                                                                           David Milne (1936)

Milne was known for his modernist sketch-like paintings with great composition and lots of "bare" or "empty" space, like in the painting above where he draws attention to the negative space. Milne was a Canadian war artist as of 1917, and would have painted this painting while in England. There are many High Streets, but to my google-map knowledge only one Ripon in the United Kingdom (click link to view).

Ripon High Street is an urban planer's paradise: There are people, people, people in the streets! Street life is a great strength of many European cities in general, making them more liveable in general. As of lately, I have been reading Green Cities of Europe edited by Timothy Beatley. In the introduction, Beatly addresses Why European Cities? For one, he begins to answer, European cities are locally specific in their design. Perhaps most importantly, European cities have been a pioneer in terms of sustainable city design and strategy, collectively signing onto agreements such as the Aalborg Charter and entertaining friendly competition between cities for titles such as the European Green Capital.

The cover fresh out of the printer's: 2012 Island Press

North and South American Cities need to start not only thinking but acting this way. Let's be creative in the best sense of the word: imitating, modifying and combining the best of what other cities are doing to meet our particular region's needs. What Milne said about pictures, I can say about cities:

"I se one of my own (ideal North American cities), a little different from ones done before, changed slightly, very slightly, by (the European cities) I see before me."

Because it wouldn't be that hard, really.

Cheesy music aside (why do they always do that??), check out this video on Stockholm, the 2010 European Green Capital winner: