A response to "Theory of Derive"

I think that derive means to walk with a purpose.  You walk with a goal or place in mind and with awareness of your surroundings.  It is better to do this in a group of two or three during an average duration between the time you wake up and the time you go to bed. 

I feel that as an architecture student I sometimes do this, but in most cases I tend to get lost and end up finding more about the area that I’m walking in.  This past weekend I traveled to Massachusetts Institute of Technology by way of the T.  When I got off I walked west on Main Street until I reached the intersection of Main Street and Vassar Street.  After about a block I reached Massachusetts Ave, where I had intended on taking a left, but instead I continued on Vassar Street past Simmons Hall and then looped back around the athletic fields and continued walking on Amherst Alley past the back side of Baker House until I reached the spot on Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s campus where I wanted to be, at Kresge Auditorium.

I thought that it was very interesting that I had intended on walking directly to Kresge Auditorium from Kendall Square, but continued on a different route once I got close, because I wanted to see more of the campus.  One thing I know for sure is that I don’t like to walk in a direct line to and from my detestation, but instead walk in a very large circle so that I can experience more.

My favorite quote from the reading is, “an urban neighborhood is determined not only by geographical and economic factor, but also by the image that it’s habitants and those of other neighborhoods have of it (pg 1).”