Gibbs vs. Whyte

1.  Gibbs and Whyte have different approaches on urban design. Gibbs concentrates on how the area itself attracts customers, while Whyte concentrates on how each retail store attracts customers. When analyzing a specific area, Gibbs would go around pointing flaws with the layout of roads, how many ‘generators’ there are, etc. If Whyte was put in the same place, he would go to each retail store and point out the advantages and disadvantages of the retail store. I find Gibbs’s approach more convincing because he goes into details about aspects of urban design such as generators, incubators, public safety, street layout and etc. Whyte’s approach, from reading his chapter “City,” I was left with more questions than answers on Whyte’s opinion on urban design. Throughout the chapter, he just kept pointing out flaws. Every time he pointed out one, I would always wonder what the solution would be to and he would never lay out one.
2. An urban area with few view-obstructing structures and wide-spread is an urban design that attracts me. When I am shopping outside, I like to see everything clearly (retail stores, vehicles, sky, etc). I also do not like shopping in a crowded area. This allows me to focus more on what stores I am looking at instead of trying to avoid bumping into other people. The fear of crime has a big influence one whether I would go shopping or not. When I go shopping, I would want to enjoy the time instead of keeping my eyes open and watching my back