The Creative Pragmatist

The Creative Pragmatist

The Rough Draft

You know you’re a Ring 1 city when….

And other ways to determine a locale’s vibe. Your opinions requested.

Amy Smilovic's avatar
Amy Smilovic
May 24, 2026
∙ Paid

Identifying the grounding color ring of a city is predicated on the notions of: temperature, tone and terrain. The color math by city is one of the most frequented read articles (read here) I’ve written. Why? Because when we travel, it sucks if you show up in the wrong vibe rather than (just) the wrong outfit. The color math applies formulas to logi…

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