The density in urban environments is increasingly more complex as the real estate

usually dedicated to pedestrians is chipped away at or is simply removed. At a macro

scale, the highways have disconnected neighborhoods and communities; at a micro

scale, the widening of streets to encourage vehicle growth and movement have accomplished much the same. One approach to reconnecting blocks and neighborhoods

is to transition the pedestrian movement and functions within a new “Datum”. Our

sidewalks are recognized well for being a functional space of movement and not hardly

for the experience it can provide, and, the existing sidewalk datum is creating new

and unforeseen pedestrian hazards (pedestrian vs. vehicle density; health contaminants,

etc) and cannot coexist with the growing density of urban neighborhoods. A new datum

allows architecture to fluxuate and respond to the experience of the pedestrian. It can remove and transition hazards away from the datum and can allow to better service

the whole needs of a neighborhood a couple blocks at a time. This transition, of people movement and gathering, is a healthier option that the one currently in place.