On a recent visit to Bologna, Italy, I was intrigued by the social contract, perhaps backed by law, where all building owners on major streets over the course of centuries have constructed their dwellings so as to cover the public sidewalks, sheltering pedestrians from the sun or rain, depending on the weather. There is still plenty of light, and I can vouch that the human experience is quite pleasant. If only more American cities could think of the human first in the construction of the built environment.