Member-only story
William H. Whyte on Human Behavior in Urban Settings
Why people-watching is a crucial skill for urbanists
“What attracts people most, it would appear, is other people.”
— William H. Whyte in The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces (1980)
William Hollingsworth Whyte, known affectionately as “Holly,” was a prominent American urbanist who lived during the 20th century. An exceptionally influential figure, Whyte was the mentor of many other “urban legends” who were active in the same era, such as Jane Jacobs and Fred Kent.
Later, Whyte’s ideas — which have greatly impacted the field of urban planning and design and are still relevant today — were also picked up and built upon by other renowned urban thinkers, such as Jan Gehl, Donald Appleyard, Allan Jacobs, Clare Cooper Marcus, Galen Cranz, Robert Sommers — the list goes on.
What makes Holly Whyte so special? What’s so great about his ideas that it influences so many people so profoundly?
As paradoxical as it seems, Whyte’s most fascinating subject is also the most mundane: human behavior in urban settings, or, to put in even simpler terms, what people do or don’t do in the city. That’s the essence of his work.
