A street on a map is usually two parallel lines. A street that feels lived-in is a lot more: the tree that shades the corner, the step everyone trips on, the bakery that opens before the buses run.

Start with the grid

Draw the true grid first — blocks, not buildings. Get the proportions right and everything else is decoration.

Then add the weight

Main streets get the heaviest line, alleys the lightest. The hierarchy is what makes a map readable at a glance.

Last, the life

The tree, the bakery, the corner. Two or three marks per block, no more. A map that tells you everything tells you nothing.