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Livable Streets

StreetFilm: The Street Life of Havana

4:05 PM EST on February 26, 2008

Ethan Kent of Project for Public Spaces recently returned from a trip to Havana with a trove of pictures, cut together in this Streetfilm by Nick Whitaker. Whatever changes are in store for the country in the wake of Fidel Castro's departure from power, these images make clear that the dense, flourishing street life of the capital city is one thing worth preserving. Here's how Ethan puts it:

If children playing in the streets is an indicator of the success of acity, then Havana’s streets may be some of the most successful in theworld...

It's not anything to glorify. It's not an ideal city... But at the same time, I think Havana streets are a window into some of what we've lost in New York and around the world.

Ben Fried
Ben Fried started as a Streetsblog reporter in 2008 and led the site as editor-in-chief from 2010 to 2018. He lives in Ditmas Park, Brooklyn, with his wife.

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