Patrick Pan

Patrick Pan

My initial reaction upon comparing my map was honestly accuracy -- everything in terms of streets and intersections is mostly accurate between the River Houses and the Science Center, with the exceptions of having 1 fewer street between Mass Ave and Mt. Auburn St. and forgetting Bow St., near Mt. Auburn. What I had in accuracy for streets I definitely did not have for specific buildings, other than Harvard dorms. I could quite accurately depict most of the shapes of the houses and position of the first-year dorms, once I thought about it.

One thing that occurred to me as I was drawing was that much of my knowledge came from times when I biked around the area, because vehicular transportation -- even by bicycle -- transports you quickly enough to expose the patterns of streets and intersections quickly enough to be remembered and mentally connected. Places where I could not or did not bike are almost invariably hazier.

I think it is partially for this reason that the grid system, for example, is a construct with many American cities, where vehicular transport is an assumption, since pedestrians can wayfind without a grid but it is more heavily perceived by those in vehicles.