TRIANGULATION

Whyte describes a phenomenon he calls triangulation in which some external stimulus provides a social bond between people and prompts strangers to talk to each other as though they were not.

The casual conversation is triggered because of curiosity and spur, Whyte found commonalities in his studies which invariably brought people talking. Elements like food, sculpture, art, street performance, natural occurrence like rainbow, appreciating sunrise/sunset, even unfortunate incidents like burglary, accidents prompt strangers to converse.

Whyte discovered that the amount and type of seating is the strongest correlation to whether people will use a public space to gather. Fundamentals like Sunlight, wind, trees, water (weather is important comfort factor) architecture,landscape design, shape, or size of the place determine and encourage social assembly and conversation. Whyte argues that the key space for a plaza is not on the plaza. It is thestreet.

Effective capacity of host.

The places that carry the most people are the most efficient in the use of place as well as the most pleasant. It is people who determine the level of crowding, and they do it very well.

The principal needs for successful space are:

Sitting: socially comfortable, providing flexible choices: sitting up front, in back, to the side, in the sun, in the shade, in groups, off alone

Food: Food attracts peoplewho attract more people

Street. Relationship of the space to the main pedestrian flow, the transition should be such that its hard to tell where one ends and the other begins.

If people do not see a space, they will now use it.

When tents or vendor stalls are set up, it animates the space. People tend to gather around the eccentric individuals and side conversations begin to form.

if a bench, a wastebasket and a telephone are placed with no connection to each other, each may receive a very limited use, but when they are arranged together ie{ triangulated }along with other amenities such as a coffee cart, they will naturally bring people together

Food truck attracts people, Plausible conversation starter

This is how seating could enhance the bike parking as triangulations. P.C: David Nelson