Miniaturizing? I've never heard of this before. You use added depth of field to simulate something much smaller than the scene? Wow! It works!! Very cool.
Yes, quite interesting. The dof on the street is particularly interesting... it gives me the feel of moving slightly downhill left... though I am not sure if that is the natural topology or a perception induced by the processing.
I think it worked well. This is a very nice location to visit time and time again, in all types of light (and weather). I tend to revisit places I like and simply find a perch and watch. Some nice photos come from such moments.