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Do European public spaces enjoy superior pavements? Architect and professor Roger Lewis of the University of Maryland contends that they do. He unleashed a debate over the issue with a recent piece in the Washington Post. What do you think? Send a note to editorial@landscapearchitect.com The essay points to design and construction shortcomings of U.S. ?EUR??,,????'?????<?horizontal urban surfaces,?EUR??,,????'?????<? i.e., streets, sidewalks, parking lots, plazas, etc., compared to those of Europe. Lewis cites Washington, D.C.?EUR??,,????'?????<???EUR?s cheaply-built, exposed-aggregate, crumbling-concrete curbs and sidewalks that are cracked and heaved up by tree roots and cycles of freezing and thawing. He bemoans the National Mall lawns that abut walkways cheaply built with exposed-aggregate concrete, instead of granite, with no attempt to create ?EUR??,,????'?????<?visually distinct seams or edges that materially define the transition.?EUR??,,????'?????<? By contrast, Lewis says, ?EUR??,,????'?????<?ground planes in European city centers are thoughtfully designed, well constructed and continuously maintained. ?EUR??,,????'?????<???? Europe’s urban streetscapes and civic spaces are almost always artful compositions. Underfoot are durable paving materials arranged in meaningful patterns that articulate patterns of use and movement. Pathways and their edges?EUR??,,????'?????<??oestreets and sidewalks, bike lanes, crosswalks, alleys and narrow passages, medians and transit stops?EUR??,,????'?????<??oeare demarcated by visible changes in paving. Europeans do not rely only on reflective white paint.?EUR??,,????'?????<? He notes further that borders around and within public squares, courtyards and plazas are ?EUR??,,????'?????<?typically delineated with pavers of differing materials, shapes and colors. Contrasting pavers are further used to produce geometric patterns, which may be purely decorative. But they also can mark and differentiate functional zones, accentuating elements within civic spaces – fountains and pools, trees, light poles, sculptures, columns, pavilions and pergolas, or even rainwater drains.?EUR??,,????'?????<?
Do European public spaces enjoy superior pavements? Architect and professor Roger Lewis of the University of Maryland contends that they do. He unleashed a debate over the issue with a recent piece in the Washington Post.
What do you think? Send a note to editorial@landscapearchitect.com
The essay points to design and construction shortcomings of U.S. ?EUR??,,????'?????<?horizontal urban surfaces,?EUR??,,????'?????<? i.e., streets, sidewalks, parking lots, plazas, etc., compared to those of Europe.
Lewis cites Washington, D.C.?EUR??,,????'?????<???EUR?s cheaply-built, exposed-aggregate, crumbling-concrete curbs and sidewalks that are cracked and heaved up by tree roots and cycles of freezing and thawing. He bemoans the National Mall lawns that abut walkways cheaply built with exposed-aggregate concrete, instead of granite, with no attempt to create ?EUR??,,????'?????<?visually distinct seams or edges that materially define the transition.?EUR??,,????'?????<?
By contrast, Lewis says, ?EUR??,,????'?????<?ground planes in European city centers are thoughtfully designed, well constructed and continuously maintained. ?EUR??,,????'?????<???? Europe’s urban streetscapes and civic spaces are almost always artful compositions. Underfoot are durable paving materials arranged in meaningful patterns that articulate patterns of use and movement. Pathways and their edges?EUR??,,????'?????<??oestreets and sidewalks, bike lanes, crosswalks, alleys and narrow passages, medians and transit stops?EUR??,,????'?????<??oeare demarcated by visible changes in paving. Europeans do not rely only on reflective white paint.?EUR??,,????'?????<?
He notes further that borders around and within public squares, courtyards and plazas are ?EUR??,,????'?????<?typically delineated with pavers of differing materials, shapes and colors. Contrasting pavers are further used to produce geometric patterns, which may be purely decorative. But they also can mark and differentiate functional zones, accentuating elements within civic spaces – fountains and pools, trees, light poles, sculptures, columns, pavilions and pergolas, or even rainwater drains.?EUR??,,????'?????<?
Francisco Uviña, University of New Mexico
Hardscape Oasis in Litchfield Park
Ash Nochian, Ph.D. Landscape Architect
November 12th, 2025
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