Good article. Having grown up in Europe, this reminds me of one of those "the American mind cannot comprehend" memes. There are endless examples in building, architecture, and urban design. An added benefit of single-staircase buildings (the ones without elevators) is more exercise and bumping into neighbors. In the US, the ADA-required elevators become our default access, and speaking in elevators is closer to terrorism than camaraderie.
To be fair, I'm always bothered in Europe with 19th-century closet-sized bathrooms, zero HVAC, and no access to drinking water (forget about cold). A lot we can learn from each other.
So true! The six-floor building my family lived in when I was a toddler had an elevator, but it only stopped on every other floor (half floor) and then you had to walk up or down. I think community and bumping into neighbors is such an underrated aspect of better-designed buildings and neighborhoods. In our elevator + car society, it's rare to just speak to others (well, except maybe at coffee shops). That's a real loss. And I 100% agree with moving more--again, in buildings and also in urban design in general.
If we all just become a bit more curious about each other and on the lookout for what we can learn we can all be better and flourish more!
Agreed, so much untapped global cultural arbitrage (for lack of better words). And I don't think we Americans are close to grasping yet how much we've lost by moving to low-touch efficiency and ofc from atomising tech. From lower crime rates to better health/happiness to higher net productivity (the hardest to connect and grasp). I don't see how we go back to what was but things to keep in mind as we move forward. Roots of Progress gets it :)
Good article. Having grown up in Europe, this reminds me of one of those "the American mind cannot comprehend" memes. There are endless examples in building, architecture, and urban design. An added benefit of single-staircase buildings (the ones without elevators) is more exercise and bumping into neighbors. In the US, the ADA-required elevators become our default access, and speaking in elevators is closer to terrorism than camaraderie.
To be fair, I'm always bothered in Europe with 19th-century closet-sized bathrooms, zero HVAC, and no access to drinking water (forget about cold). A lot we can learn from each other.
So true! The six-floor building my family lived in when I was a toddler had an elevator, but it only stopped on every other floor (half floor) and then you had to walk up or down. I think community and bumping into neighbors is such an underrated aspect of better-designed buildings and neighborhoods. In our elevator + car society, it's rare to just speak to others (well, except maybe at coffee shops). That's a real loss. And I 100% agree with moving more--again, in buildings and also in urban design in general.
If we all just become a bit more curious about each other and on the lookout for what we can learn we can all be better and flourish more!
Agreed, so much untapped global cultural arbitrage (for lack of better words). And I don't think we Americans are close to grasping yet how much we've lost by moving to low-touch efficiency and ofc from atomising tech. From lower crime rates to better health/happiness to higher net productivity (the hardest to connect and grasp). I don't see how we go back to what was but things to keep in mind as we move forward. Roots of Progress gets it :)