When It Comes to Design for the Disabled, Let the Science Lead the Process
06.21.2022
Why architecture and design must develop minimum human standards.
Why architecture and design must develop minimum human standards.
Essays
Inclusion and Fusion: New Orleans at the Common Edge
06.13.2022
How the spirit of Both/And infuses the architecture of the Crescent City.
How the spirit of Both/And infuses the architecture of the Crescent City.
The Ecological Potential of Rome’s Urban Wilderness
06.09.2022
How community activists transformed an abandoned construction site into a park.
How community activists transformed an abandoned construction site into a park.
Blair Kamin’s Tribute to Helmut Jahn
05.11.2022
The former architecture critic of the Chicago Tribune spoke at a recent memorial service for the architect.
The former architecture critic of the Chicago Tribune spoke at a recent memorial service for the architect.
Peanuts Urbanism: Charles Schulz’s Subtle Critique of Suburbia
04.26.2022
The cartoonist’s vision was bleeker and more astute than many realize.
The cartoonist’s vision was bleeker and more astute than many realize.
An Architect and a Prostitute Walk Into a Bar
04.20.2022
A parable about the SCI-Arc controversy.
A parable about the SCI-Arc controversy.
How Robert A.M. Stern Resurrected Architectural History
04.11.2022
On the occasion of his new memoir, Between Memory and Invention: My Journey in Architecture.
On the occasion of his new memoir, Between Memory and Invention: My Journey in Architecture.
Kevin Lippert: Genuine Polymath
04.05.2022
A tribute to the founder of Princeton Architectural Press.
A tribute to the founder of Princeton Architectural Press.
De-Coding Decon: How the Architectural Avant-Garde Became the Architectural Establishment, Part 2
03.29.2022
Through sophistry and a focus on “theory,” a generation of late-20th-century architects not only sought to upend the industry establishment, they rose to replace it.
Through sophistry and a focus on “theory,” a generation of late-20th-century architects not only sought to upend the industry establishment, they rose to replace it.
De-Coding Decon: How the Architectural Avant-Garde Became the Establishment, Part I
03.23.2022
Joseph Giovannini’s Architecture Unbound tells the whole story.
Joseph Giovannini’s Architecture Unbound tells the whole story.
How Christopher Alexander Changed Architecture—and Much More
03.22.2022
Over six decades of relentless creation and research, he created a legacy whose breadth and complexity are difficult to apprehend.
Over six decades of relentless creation and research, he created a legacy whose breadth and complexity are difficult to apprehend.
What’s the Point of Architecture Criticism?
03.15.2022
Revisiting Architecture and Critical Imagination’s and the crucial role of the lay critic.
Revisiting Architecture and Critical Imagination’s and the crucial role of the lay critic.
Dr. Paul Farmer, Our Greatest Architect
02.27.2022
MASS Design Group’s Michael Murphy pays tribute to the legendary founder of Partners in Health.
MASS Design Group’s Michael Murphy pays tribute to the legendary founder of Partners in Health.
The Architectural Pandemic of the “Stick Frame Over Podium” Building
02.22.2022
Why so many new apartment buildings look the same.
Why so many new apartment buildings look the same.
What’s the Matter with American Cities?
02.07.2022
European urban conditions have been improving, but their U.S. counterparts remain mired in dysfunction.
European urban conditions have been improving, but their U.S. counterparts remain mired in dysfunction.
The Surprising Stickiness of the “15-Minute City”
01.25.2022
There’s more depth and history to the concept than you think.
There’s more depth and history to the concept than you think.
Mapping Improvisation: The Role of Call and Response in Urban Planning
01.04.2022
How the Battle of the Grid played out in New Orleans and New York.
How the Battle of the Grid played out in New Orleans and New York.
Be Gentle With Yourself: Recovering the Vernacular Mind
01.03.2022
The vernacular is not a style, it’s a way of thinking and doing.
The vernacular is not a style, it’s a way of thinking and doing.
Alex Garvin and the Art of Pragmatic Planning
12.27.2021
A tribute to the architect and city planner, who died last week.
A tribute to the architect and city planner, who died last week.
Breaking the Dead Paradigm For Design Exhibitions
12.21.2021
Notes on the 2021 Chicago Architecture Biennial.
Notes on the 2021 Chicago Architecture Biennial.
Donate to CommonEdge.org, a Not-For-Profit website dedicated to reconnecting architecture and design to the public.
Donate