From Pixels to Place

We often talk about the "attention economy" as a digital phenomenon. But urban planners and architects are competing in this economy too. Our competition isn't just other cities or suburbs; it's the screen in everyone's pocket.

UI, UX, and product designers have spent the last two decades perfecting the science of holding human attention. They know exactly how to use color, motion, and feedback loops to keep us engaged. They've built digital environments that are so compelling, so frictionless, that the physical world often feels dull and difficult by comparison.

The UX of the Street

I believe we need to study these digital designers, not to copy their addictive tactics, but to understand their mastery of human behavior.

Why is it so easy to scroll for an hour but so hard to walk to the grocery store? Because the digital experience is designed for flow, while the physical one is often full of friction. Digital designers obsess over removing barriers. Urban planners often inadvertently create them, such as wide roads that are hard to cross, dead spaces that feel unsafe, and zoning that separates us from the things we need.

If we want people to look up from their phones, we have to design places that are worth looking at. We need to create physical environments that offer the same things digital ones do: rhythm, diversity, and surprise.

Building Without "Coding"

This perspective is deeply influenced by my own experience with technology. I've built several web applications, despite not having a formal background in computer science. I use AI tools and modern frameworks to bring ideas to life.

This approach taught me a valuable lesson: you don't need to be a master of the underlying syntax to understand the experience. In software, I might not write every line of boilerplate code, but I obsess over the user journey. I care about how it feels to use the product.

I see a parallel in urban planning. The "code" of a city is its zoning laws, financial models, and infrastructure requirements. These are essential, and I am learning them. But the "product", the thing that actually matters to the person living there, is the feeling of the place.

Countering the Screen

We shouldn't aim to make cities "addictive" in the way apps are. Instead, we should aim to make them compelling.

The screen offers a simulation of connection. The city offers the real thing. But to win that battle for attention, we have to be intentional. We have to design streets that are as engaging as a feed, public squares that are as welcoming as a community forum, and neighborhoods that are as interconnected as a network.

I want to learn how to hold attention through place, using the rigor of product design to build cities that don't just house us, but actively engage us.