David Yoon, a writer, designer, and self-described "urban planning geek," has been transforming the sprawling avenues of Los Angeles into small, human-sized streets by narrowing them in Photoshop.
The project was born when Yoon returned to Los Angeles from a trip to Paris and suddenly realized how the mood of a city could depend on something as simple as street width.
He explains
:
I think of it as concept art, and like all concept art it's meant to provoke discussion about the city not as a foregone conclusion but as a series of design choices. Sure, it's a do-over fantasy. But hopefully it sparks the imagination to also wonder: are the rules of the city really set in concrete?In this case, they're at least set in asphalt, unfortunately. But it's fun to dream.