William P Thayer wrote: > Practically speaking, this is the principle behind the urban layout of many > old Mediterranean towns: narrow streets make for constant shade in the > summer; if in addition they are not straight, they also temper winter > conditions. I noticed this in several towns of central Italy; one of which > -- Pitigliano, in Tuscany -- has a sundial in about the only place it can > have one near ground level: in a piazza where the streets widen out.
I've spent the last two days in New York (one extra day because United Airlines if the mother of incompetence amont air companies!). The heat was the hell itself: HHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOTTTTTTTT. Every time I was walkint eastwards or westwards I would do it on the South sidewalk. Just to get some shade from the buildings. I decided to observe if a noticeable amount of people were doing the same I was. My impression was that no, they weren't. At least, to me it seemed there were about 50% on each side. The second thing I thought was how those tall buildings became a blessing in a canicular day like that. Now, reading Bill's message I was thinking on how curious things are. For different reasons we thought about the same phenomena occurring in different cities... Sundialling is an incurable decease; once you catch it, it never leaves you. - fernando -- Fernando Cabral Padrao iX Sistemas Abertos mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.pix.com.br mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Fone: +55 61 321-2433 Fax: +55 61 225-3082 15º 45' 04.9" S 47º 49' 58.6" W 19º 37' 57.0" S 45º 17' 13.6" W
