Settings only come alive through a character noticing them at a point of change

Evidence

In every scene, the writer’s opportunity comes at the point of change. A person doesn’t notice the street he walks down every day. But when they knock down the house on the corner, and a new vista is revealed—that’s when your character notices, and that’s when you can describe. Landscapes, streetscapes, objects, are dead in themselves. They only come alive through the senses of your character, though his perceptions, his opinions, his point of view. — Hilary Mantel, A Memoir of My Former Self- A Life in…, 871

Categorization

• XREF: Directly applicable to any scene-writing craft — resonates with ‘show, don’t tell’ advice she cites just above. — connects to: Keynote sounds are noticed only when they change or vanish — Schafer, Murray R, The Soundscape- Our Sonic Environment…, 215; Entering a public setting is governed by a spotlight that switches off once positioned; Character is only revealed through resistance against external constraints (+1 more)
• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — Hilary Mantel, A Memoir of My Former Self- A Life in…, 871