Reports his discoveries in Street Reclaiming: Creating Livable Streets and Vibrant Communities. To promote the book, builds a throne that folds out of a suitcase, and sits in famous places around the world.
Makes accidental discovery that the speed of traffic on residential streets is determined by the degree to which residents have psychologically retreated from their street. Begins a series of experiments in neighbourhoods all over the world.
Publishes Towards an Ecocity (titled Reclaiming Our Cities and Towns in the USA). Set as a text in university courses in UK, USA and Australia. Stops washing windows for a living, and becomes an ‘international guru’ on cities and public space.
Attends a public meeting to discuss a road widening through his neighbourhood. Leaves as a member of Citizens Against Route 20. Little does this extremely naive man know how his life just changed. The vagabond is about to discover his calling.
Drops out of high school and drifts from job to job… youth worker, furniture maker, telephone technician, window cleaner.
Attends the first of 26 schools… and fails grade one. Becomes the perpetual outcast at each new school, as family moves from town to town. Never experiences any sense of place. The beginnings of a placemaker are born.
