Walking in the City (from The Practice of Everyday Life) – Michel de Certeau

Details

Photo

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Name

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Field

Cultural theory / urban studies

Year

1980

One-line gist

Contrasts the god’s‑eye, planner’s view of the city with the messy, inventive ways ordinary people actually walk it.

Best when

You’re taking the long way home and feel like turning your wander into a tiny piece of fieldwork.

My take

This is the one that made me feel less guilty about my habit of ducking down side streets “just to see.” It reads like someone quietly narrating your own city-walking montage.