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Growing Closer 1  <br />type of housing. The best dense neighborhoods include a lively <br />mix of uses, housing types, architectural styles, and public <br />spaces. There is more to observe and more to do. Most impor- <br />tant, a broad range of people lives in them. Variety on every <br />level is what keeps dense neighborhoods from feeling oppres- <br />sive. It helps create places that are both visually stimulating and <br />socially dynamic. <br />One byproduct of monotony is an uneasy sense of disori- <br />entation that one feels moving through a setting where every- <br />thing looks the same. The architecture is not distinctive enough <br />to register in our memories and serve as landmarks. As human <br />beings, we have an innate desire to know where we are and <br />how to find our way around. This is easier when our environ- <br />ment is varied and has a comprehensible structure. In a neigh- <br />borhood setting this requires an assortment of buildings and a <br />coherent street network. Distinctive elements such as a unique <br />building or a view of a distant mountain provide landmarks. <br />Neighborhood design should take this into account, not only <br />5417.28 <br />Camden, New Jersey