A guide to Sidewalk Safari - Kimberly McKean

WHAT'S A SIDEWALK SAFARI

Sidewalk safari© is a city excursion with the objective of spotting places, buildings, curiosities and capturing the beauty of what is encountered. It is a collection of exploration methods to be undertaken in the place where you live or in other cities. It is a simple activity, suitable for any age, that everyone can experience and is versatile to your needs.

The guide is divided into three posts, they illustrate how it works, allow you to discover safari styles and learn about creative missions in order for you to create your own.

THE SIDEWALK SAFARI PRECURSORS

The idea originated from two cultural concepts: the French term Flânerie which indicates gentlemen who wander through city streets observing the landscape with awareness and feeling emotions; and Psychogeography a method of investigation of urban space created by the artistic avant-garde of the early twentieth century called Situationism (the activity of constructing situations).

It’s a discipline that combines multiple pleasures and creative activities with the help of an interactive itinerary, planned or not, such as photo safari, urban scavenger hunt, creative mapping and urban field notes.

The Sidewalk Safari© is most commonly done on foot (walking safari) or by bicycle but, in case of a large scale itinerary, public transport or vehicles may be used.

HOW TO EMBARK ON A SIDEWALK SAFARI

The Sidewalk Safari© is made up of three components: style, location and duration. They are used to organize your safari and guide you in choosing creative missions. To start it’s necessary to …

DETERMINE:

01.

Style.
Type of route.

The style with which you will face the safari could influence the scale of the area you’ll be exploring.

02.

Place.
Type of route.

Where you want to carry out your territorial exploration could influence activities and timing of your journey.

03.

Time.
Excursion duration.

The time you have available may limit your activities.

WHY IS STYLE IMPORTANT?

Deciding on the style of your safari will have an impact on the behavior you will adopt during the experience. The Flâneur approach to your walk will focus on what is happening around you, you will walk with observation and presence, enjoying breaks while sitting at a cafe and appreciating slowness. It means that your creative activities should simultaneously reflect this style.

Different variables may occur by using a more interactive style. In a “city monument scavenger hunt” planning your itinerary could be crucial. You’ll start by listing a number of monuments you are interested in seeing. To be able to reach them all, outlining a strategic path may be useful. On the contrary, if you were inspired by Psychogeography, the same interactive safari would be approached in a completely different way. The journey will be guided by your intuition and your attention will be directed to the relationship between you, space and exploration.

The style represents the kind of game you wish to play, the type of experience you want to try and the possibility to adapt the excursion according to your interests.

STYLES OF THE SIDEWALK SAFARI

They are a fundamental part in Urban Safari © and guide you in the subsequent choice of one or more “creative missions” to combine with the excursion. The style and creative mission determine the type of path, the rhythm and the atmosphere of your adventure. Let’s learn about their differences:

MODERN

It pays homage to the flâneur movement, your wandering becomes is an aesthetic act, basically you have to be great observers therefore combine related activities. For this type of safari, the “free time” factor, and how to appreciate it, is essential.

Give yourself the right amount of time.
Seize what is beautiful.
Take a coffee break.
Make conversation.

POSTMODERN

Imagine the urban space as your playground. Being a sort of playful safari, your attitude will be exploratory and lively. The activities should focus on moving through your territory, this style is great for engaging Psychogeography.

Be aware of your surroundings
Have fun with the itinerary.
Be guided by your intuition.
Observe with curiosity.

CONTEMPORARY

It’s simply a path that you can arrange according to your preferences. You can combine aspects of modern and postmodernism or, various creative missions. The most important thing is to interact with the urban space you will move in.

Don't limit your creativity.
Interact with the journey.
Pay attention to details.
Use dice to choose your directions.

IN PRATICE

In the modern mood you have to “relish time”, creative missions must be carried out without haste, they should be relaxing and not too demanding. In the postmodern spirit you “celebrate space” so the chosen activities must stimulate or test you. With the contemporary attitude, you can experiment, mixing the missions with each other (recommended for the more experienced).

EXCITED TO TRY ONE?

Download a trial Sidewalk Safari!

While waiting to learn more about how to organize a Sidewalk Safari© of your own, or for me to unravel the creative missions illustrated in the next post, I made three simple test rides for you, one for each style, here is the free pdf :

What is Flânerie

Coming soon

What's Psicogeografia

Coming soon

LET'S KEEP IN TOUCH!

I’m curious to hear about your experiences, ideas and feedback! How were your first Sidewalk Safaris©? Don’t forget to share your suggestions and itineraries…

See yah in the comments!

Let’s go and do interesting things!