I too enjoyed Chris's map of his Buffalo. It seems to get to the point about how we perceive our surroundings, and what we feel are the most important ways to navigate through them. Not having been in Buffalo that long, i too gravitate towards a distinct pattern that involves the North/South corridors of Delaware and Elmwood, pretty much Military to Main. I almost always get lost in Cheektowaga. Internal compass doesn't seem to work there.
As far as cities go, I would say Buffalo was planned out well. Main arteries are very long, and run across the whole city, versus being short and segmented. They built neighborhoods off these avenues, with businesses and housing together in close proximity. Having grown up in Southern California, it's a whole different experience. You would not get very far without hopping on a very large freeway, often jammed with commuters. You can easily lose touch with the city and neighborhoods that you pass along your way to another destination. It's one of the biggest complaints many people have about boom towns in so.cal and many other places is the loss of intimacy one has with their city/community. People feel too detached. It may be interesting to see how cognitive maps may differ between these two envronments.
