Is Santa Clara—the Heart of Silicon Valley—Soulless and Banal by Intent?
06.20.2023
The city combines great wealth and utter placelessness.
The city combines great wealth and utter placelessness.
Josh Stephens
Reaching for the Heavens
03.14.2022
A new book on supertall buildings is an informative look at these awesome structures, but it could have offered a more critical perspective.
A new book on supertall buildings is an informative look at these awesome structures, but it could have offered a more critical perspective.
The Metaverse Lands in Downtown Los Angeles
12.13.2021
On Staples Center becoming Crypto.com Arena.
On Staples Center becoming Crypto.com Arena.
No, Los Angeles Is Not a City-State
06.03.2021
A recent Atlantic essay and new book gets LA all wrong (again).
A recent Atlantic essay and new book gets LA all wrong (again).
The High, Hidden Costs of Amazon
05.02.2021
Don’t be fooled by that smile printed on the boxes you’re receiving.
Don’t be fooled by that smile printed on the boxes you’re receiving.
Los Angeles’ Least Cool Councilmember Kills Its Coolest Street
09.28.2020
Introducing the “perennially out of touch” Paul Koretz.
Introducing the “perennially out of touch” Paul Koretz.
Laurel Canyon: The Classic California Urban Ecosystem
08.27.2020
The power of people and place can often defy formal design and planning.
The power of people and place can often defy formal design and planning.
Solving the Urban Riddle That is Los Angeles
07.29.2020
An excerpt from The Urban Mystique: Notes on California, Los Angeles and Beyond.
An excerpt from The Urban Mystique: Notes on California, Los Angeles and Beyond.
On Tea and Density in Old Delhi
03.11.2020
How a street-corner vendor symbolizes the incredible, contradictory aspects of a centuries-old place where the concept of urban planning is all but impossible.
How a street-corner vendor symbolizes the incredible, contradictory aspects of a centuries-old place where the concept of urban planning is all but impossible.
A Proposed “Iconic” Tower in San Jose is a Monument to Lousy Urbanism
05.14.2019
Sometimes civic ambition should aim lower.
Sometimes civic ambition should aim lower.
Letter from Southern California: Packing Books as the Woolsey Fire Approaches
11.12.2018
When I woke up Sunday morning, I breathed in the homes of my neighbors.
When I woke up Sunday morning, I breathed in the homes of my neighbors.
Reconsidering Paradise: How Honolulu Became a Poster Child for American Autocentric Urbanism
05.09.2018
If you’re going to pave over paradise, at least do it well.
If you’re going to pave over paradise, at least do it well.
A Tale of Two Cities: Tourism and Imperialism in Sri Lanka
02.28.2018
Are authentic places even possible today?
Are authentic places even possible today?
Cannabis, Urbanism and Storefront Ethics
01.03.2018
If pot stores are opposed on moral grounds, what about other legal but dubious establishments?
If pot stores are opposed on moral grounds, what about other legal but dubious establishments?
Churches, City Making, and the Sacking of Tbilisi by Global Architecture
11.09.2017
Walking the Old Town and pondering the church’s role in the rise of the city.
Walking the Old Town and pondering the church’s role in the rise of the city.
The Work of Architecture in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction
08.02.2017
Some thoughts on Walter Benjamin, sprawl watching in the desert, and the primacy of the land.
Some thoughts on Walter Benjamin, sprawl watching in the desert, and the primacy of the land.
How Photography Profoundly Reshaped Our Ideas About Cities
05.29.2017
The medium’s influence on urban life was nearly as impactful as the automobile.
The medium’s influence on urban life was nearly as impactful as the automobile.
Kings, Despots, Dictators, Cities and the End of History
03.13.2017
Why are democracies so incapable today of creating great urban places?
Why are democracies so incapable today of creating great urban places?
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