The sidewalk as a qualified Public Space: As shared public spaces dedicated for daily displacements of pedestrians, the sidewalks represent a large portion of the city. Nevertheless, in São Paulo, sidewalks with appropriated conditions are rare. In most of the cases they are very narrow, with irregular or no maintenance and presenting many obstacles, which discourage the circulation of pedestrians through the city.

We understand the sidewalk not only as a pavement, but as a whole environment. Its path holds a variety of urban infrastructure, such as light poles and signs, furniture and trees. That is to say that sidewalks are the interface between the street and private spaces and they are fundamental to constitute a healthy urban landscape. By qualified sidewalks we mean walkways with accessibility and pleasant to walk through.

A global sidewalk: The project “All Colors Sidewalk” sought to comprehend the highest number of replicable concepts creating a global sidewalk. Among the issues raised are: urban mobility, accessibility, sustainable solutions, art, urban furniture and place making.

As the pedestrian is drawn to the sidewalk, the element that first stands out is the wood structure, which induces curiosity of those who are passing by. With seats at different heights providing different situations, possibilities and views, the structure worked as a public bleacher. At the highest levels, the bleacher dissolved into multifaceted panels which delimited the pedestrian’s path. In addition to that, the wood structure acted as visual reference for the local landscape - which shape changed as the person walked through the sidewalk. In other words, besides being an ordinary piece of urban furniture (protecting and enhancing people’s contemplation), the piece created a rich open-air environment that allowed and promoted different appropriations and social interactions.