Resident Artist
Meet the Photographer of This Issue's Cover Photo by Jennifer Williams
Christi Elflein
but she had me thinking it could be a challenging topic to mix with photography. But Christi has found the perfect project and is currently creating a book with the working title of “Great Streets of Singapore.” She explained to me that “In my photos, I aim to communicate the life of the street: the activity on the street and the ways people use it. I capture people biking, strolling, or sitting in a café. I can’t overlook the construction workers or garbage collectors; I photograph everyone that makes the street come alive.” She says a great street has balance and allows everyone to thrive. Urban design contributes to this balance in the geometry of a street. The ratio of building heights to their width on a street is a main factor in whether it's comfortable for people (up to 1:3 height to width ratio) or dead and without activity where streets are too wide (recall big box stores surrounded by seas of parking lots and streets without pedestrian life). Good urban planning takes into account lane widths, curbs, drainage, sidewalks and even street furniture, like benches. In “Great Streets of Singapore,” Christi is creating a reference/tour book that
photo caption
Christi Elflein
Photography has always been a part of Christi Elflein’s life. She credits her dad. During his own childhood, Christi’s dad even set up an at-home dark room, and she still has boxes of his slides that she’ll transfer to digital one day. Led by his example, Christi is a lifelong camera enthusiast. Christi moved to Singapore from Florida with her husband and two children in 2019. She is an active member of the AWA Magazine team and the AWA running group. Her photos grace the cover of several AWA Magazine, and she writes the magazine’s Family Fun Adventures column. In the United States, she earned her Master’s in urban planning from Georgia Tech and developed her career as an urban planner. She does some remote consulting planning work from here, and her passion for good planning and design is a highlight of her photography. Streetscapes and Urban Planning Christi quickly responded “streetscapes,” when I asked her about her favourite subject to photograph. “I’m happiest when a project brings together writing, photography and urban planning.” Christi’s enthusiasm for urban planning and great street design is catching, 14
AWA Magazine Jan/Feb 2022
Podi and Poriyal, Serangoon Road
