“a botanist of the sidewalk”

 

“The term “Flâneur” comes from the French verb flâner, which means “to stroll”. A flâneur is thus a person who walks the city in order to experience it (…) The idea of the flâneur has accumulated significant meaning as a referent for understanding urban phenomena and modernity.

(…) While Baudelaire characterized the flâneur as a “gentleman stroller of city streets”, he saw the Flâneur as having a key role in understanding, participating in and portraying the city. A flâneur thus both played a role in city life and (in theory) remained a detached observer.

(…) Because he coined the word to refer to Parisians, the “flâneur” (the one who strolls) and “flânerie” (the act of strolling) are associated with Paris. However, the critical stance of flânerie is now applied more generally to any kind of pedestrian environment that accommodates leisurely exploration of city streets, in particular commercial avenues where inhabitants of different classes mix. (…)”

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