Amserfoort, De Muurhuizen

This is a nearly perfect quiet street. The width of the street is highly agreeable, given the less urban character of this area (Amersfoort is a small provincial city in the Dutch hinterlands).

What makes this street so attractive? It has one vital characteristic - it curves gently and continuously in one direction, affording the pedestrian a constantly changing view and a good look at each of the façades on the left side of the street. Notice that the buildings on the right are smaller and of a simpler character than those on the left. The curve of the street makes the better buildings more visible.

I will relent on the matter of street trees here - the three trees that can be seen are well behaved, nicely situated, and entirely in keeping with the character of the street.

Notice that, despite the presence of a number of single-story buildings, this is still clearly an urban area. The fact that all buildings abut their neighbors has much to do the maintenance of an urban character.

 
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