“What Would Jane Jacobs Do?” Is the Wrong Question
09.18.2024
Proponents of City of Yes are misapplying her ideas (again).
Proponents of City of Yes are misapplying her ideas (again).
Post Archive
Public Engagement Posts
What L.A. 2028 Can Learn From the Paris Olympics
09.16.2024
Sprawling Los Angeles is vastly different from the French capital, but it can still find ways to take a cue from the City of Lights’ embrace of the local.
Sprawling Los Angeles is vastly different from the French capital, but it can still find ways to take a cue from the City of Lights’ embrace of the local.
Vivian Maier: Nanny With a Rolleiflex
07.31.2024
Fotografiska bids adieu to its current digs with a tribute to the great street photographer.
Fotografiska bids adieu to its current digs with a tribute to the great street photographer.
Michael Van Valkenburgh on the Making of Brooklyn Bridge Park
07.10.2024
The noted landscape architect talks about one of the great 21st century urban parks.
The noted landscape architect talks about one of the great 21st century urban parks.
Social Radicalism Reexamined: The Legacies of Christopher Alexander and Joseph Rykwert
06.05.2024
What these foreign-born giants of design theory brought to two American universities.
What these foreign-born giants of design theory brought to two American universities.
Jane Jacobs, Cyclist
05.13.2024
We should have known the famed urbanist loved the bike.
We should have known the famed urbanist loved the bike.
The ‘Social Landscapes’ of Lee Friedlander
04.22.2024
For six decades, the photographer’s ability to offer a complex narrative about America in a single image was always unique.
For six decades, the photographer’s ability to offer a complex narrative about America in a single image was always unique.
Randy Fertel on the Power and Peril of Creative Improvisation
04.15.2024
A lively talk with the author about his new book, Winging It.
A lively talk with the author about his new book, Winging It.
Sharon Egretta Sutton on the Democratic Power of “Place-Based Activism”
01.22.2024
A talk with the self-proclaimed activist scholar.
A talk with the self-proclaimed activist scholar.
A Model for a Healthier, Adaptive Approach to Community Development
01.17.2024
The Smiling Gecko project in Cambodia addresses a more complex and systemic view of community life.
The Smiling Gecko project in Cambodia addresses a more complex and systemic view of community life.
Picturing an Exhibition: Closing the 18th Venice Architecture Biennale
12.05.2023
Much in the architecture world, and the world at large, has changed since the exhibition opened.
Much in the architecture world, and the world at large, has changed since the exhibition opened.
Jay-Z’s Unseemly Takeover of Brooklyn’s Central Library
11.21.2023
Crowds love “The Book of HOV,” but the library has ceded public space for a self-produced tribute from his company, Roc Nation.
Crowds love “The Book of HOV,” but the library has ceded public space for a self-produced tribute from his company, Roc Nation.
Our Cities Aren’t Dead Yet!
10.24.2023
Forget the “doom loops,” there are plenty of indicators that urban centers are recovering.
Forget the “doom loops,” there are plenty of indicators that urban centers are recovering.
What Do You Say to a Naked Architect?
09.27.2023
A revealing look at client relationships. An architectural fiction.
A revealing look at client relationships. An architectural fiction.
How the NIMBY-YIMBY Debates Worsened the Housing Crisis
09.11.2023
And how to change things for better results.
And how to change things for better results.
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.
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