City Slickers

"Monocle believes that the measure of a city is more about everyday wonders - pavements, well-designed schools, punctual transport - rather than one-off grand projects. Here's our list of the top 25 urban elements that make a city."

While a few of the elements are questionable -- making illuminated signage (as in Berlin) part of a city's building code, as if we need another mandatory energy drain -- the list points out both familiar and new (to me) pieces that do just as they say: putting the emphasis on the little pieces rather than the big ones (minus Tokyo Midtown, a grand project if there ever was one). Worth a watch for the illustrations as much as for the commendable content.