Uploaded on 2017-06-01

Disclaimer: this picture has been taken from Wikimedia Commons and is licensed for non-commercial use with modification. I have no rights to this image. The above picture depicts the central area of my city of residence. One can clearly see the easy access that the van has to the shops, thereby eliminating the need for back-alleys - or the potential for back-alleys to be used for connectivity and recreation rather than transportation of goods / storage. One can also see the structure in the middle surrounded by benches, that serves to be functional as well as visually pleasing and make the centrum more attractive. This signifies that the centrum is not only meant for business and shopping, but is also a place of recreation for the citizens. The picture depicts a glass building leading to an underground bicycle-storage area. Notice that there is no visible parking spot for automobiles. Most of the traffic in the centrum arrives on bicycle, and to encourage this sustainable behaviour, there was a large investment in a sprawling underground bicycle-parking facility. Some of the invisible information is that there is no shade from sun or rain, not even from the trees, and in a country like the Netherlands, where it is intermittently rainy and sunny, having some shade or cover in the centrum would be beneficial. This could be realised by installing perhaps umbrellas near the benches, in such a way that they blend in with the surroundings while still retaining their functionality.