Street Lamps, Worldview and Collaboration

One more thought on Vienna.

I was struck by the way the Viennese illuminated their streets. Rather than have lampposts on sidewalks with long-necked lamps arching over the street, the Viennese string their lamps smack above the road. As you walk down the street and look up, there are all these suspension wires crisscrossing the sky. To an American, this seemed somewhat impractical and labor intensive. However I must say the system illuminates the road far more precisely than our approach.

This example made me realize how cultures resolve similar problems in dramatically different ways. Something as simple as lighting a street can have two such radically different approaches, each having its virtues. The fact that people approach problems so differently means that distinct, viable solutions are possible. It also points to the value of collaboration and the need to learn from people who think and work differently from us. It is like the collaboration in our course: I have learned something about styles of work from each of my collaborators and I have also learned to be more aware of my own approach to things. All in all an invaluable experience.

Cheers,
Laura