Cappuccinos, Wine and Other Takeaways from Seville, Spain

Last week, I sat at a cafe drinking the best cappuccino while observing tourists, school children, and locals go about their day in the streets of Seville, Spain. While I was there to celebrate my sister Jennifer’s wedding, I couldn’t help but contemplate how a place like this develops and what developers, planners and public leadership in the States can learn to better enhance the longevity and connectivity of our projects.

First, the activity in Seville is not solely driven by events and programming like many public spaces in the states, but rather, it’s driven by everyday life and culture. People live and connect in the streets, at cafes, and in the public realm. While culture is difficult, if not impossible, to truly imitate, the key take away is that the built environment actually helps develop the culture. A vast field of research illustrates that the places we live greatly impacts our societal norms and individual quality of life. If we want to energize our public spaces, we must acknowledge the importance of shared uses, diversity and quality of development.

Second, Seville is multimodal. The modern 5 stop streetcar drives down the heart of Old Town, past the Cathedral, university and public squares. (While I speak OK Spanish, maneuvering buying a ticket for the streetcar in a downpour was quite a scene!) Directly next to the streetcar is a lane for bikes and a place for pedestrians to walk. Accompanying all of this are horse drawn carriages and often cabs traveling to hotels in Old Town. While cities in the states continue to increase the use of alternative transportation modes, there is still conflict in how we develop a multimodal community. In Seville, each type of transportation had it’s place and worked well together.

The last big takeaway highlights the importance of small details. Each day I would sit at a cafe, order a cappuccino or a glass of wine and make a new friend. While I tend to do this wherever I travel, Seville is different. There is tremendous attention on experience, laughter, and appreciation for the moment. Yes, this may be cultural, but it’s also developed due to key enhancements in the public realm. It’s the bench that allows an older couple to rest while walking to dinner or the small square with a monument in the center where people reflect. It’s the fountain, public art and sidewalk music that allows people to appreciate life a bit more. To create a better experience for our residents, we must create opportunities for them to grow, connect and enjoy life.

Needless to say... I’ll be back to Seville again. There is so much to learn!

Oh and here’s a picture of the bride and groom!

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I am a Community Developer passionate about sharing ideas, examples and stories around creating great places. I love to write about big ideas, sustainability and occasionally indulge myself and write about something philosophical. I love to connect with like-minded people who are making a difference in the world.

Feel free to email me at: JeremynSharpe@gmail.com.