Desire paths, skate marks, kids’ forts. These are indices of presence. They show us how people want to use the environment, not just how it was designed. Most cities treat every activity as something that needs a designated zone. That kills the spark. Places only stay alive when they draw in different people for different reasons throughout the day. Instead of scrubbing out the signs of life, dead cities should learn from them and find ways to invite more. #urbanism #cityplanning #michigan #grandrapids #urbandesign