These old neighborhoods, like the old town in Zurich, have something the modern ones don’t — human-scaled design. The buildings aren’t supersized, and the height of the structures doesn’t overwhelm.

Another less understood but essential design element is the relationship of the street’s width to the height of the buildings. Good proportions create an outdoor room that psychologically protects and comforts people. Imagine the same-sized buildings with a street that is four times wider — it just doesn’t work. It creates an amorphous, undefined neighborhood typical of suburban America.

Surprisingly, I used the maximum 120mm equivalent focal lengths often in Zurich, as in this image. While the lens may have compressed the distance to the furthest building, the structure’s proportions to people are well represented.

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