Sunday Sketchbook: Paris

This street in the Marais is as visually rich as Route 2 in northern Vermont. I think the best city neighborhoods like the best countrysides have a mix of functions and visual features: both homes and shops, resting and active areas, a roofline with some historical variety, and plenty of engaging detail. Specialized use (shopping centers, housing developments) may have economies of scale, but I don't think "monoculture" does much for our eyes, brains or hearts.