More Fountains!

I'm not an urban planner, but I've got my ideas. One of them is fountains. If anyone ever put me in charge of laying out a new city, the first thing I'd do is fill is with fountains. Fountains in every park and every square. The thought first occurred to me in Rome. I thought, "Why is this city so pleasant and enlivening to stroll through when parts of New York—mainly Midtown—are so stultifying and deadening?" And it struck me: fountains. Flowing water everywhere, a sign of life and activity, falling gently on the the eye and the ear, filling the air with pleasing sound and needed moisture. Plus, it was all good water to drink!

Cheers to whoever erected this nice fountain in Churchill Square on Sixth Avenue near Bleecker. It improved the surroundings 100 percent and makes people want to sit and pause, rather than skirt across the square as fast as you can—which used to be the case.