The essays and photographs exhibited on this website are a serialized prequel to Sustaining a City’s Culture and Character: Principles and Best Practices (Rowman and Littlefield, 2020/21). You may recall the excerpt from the book’s Introduction, featured on July 8, as well as references to the book’s general approach in […]
I suppose that walking to church in 1285, the village resident had risks to consider when going outside versus staying home. After yesterday, I have empathy for the traveler of the Dark Ages. Today, during our lives in emergence, there are scientific calculations that many ignore, including the most fundamental […]
During the relative calm of July in the United Kingdom, when the COVID curve is flattened (for now), it is time to explore. I discussed Church Street in Twickenham last month as a stage for the mythical “Equity Street in Pandemica.” Today I returned to examine how the street has […]
There is no shortage of punditry about the pandemic and its impact on cities, their density, form, and structure. The last several months have demonstrated both the value of empirical research, personal stories, and the need to balance them carefully. While we completed our pending book, Sustaining a City’s Culture […]
I keep writing about cities and towns and the need to fully understand urban perspective, and tell a tale below to explain why. I use a photograph and musical “assists” to show what might be already obvious to some: We interpret the city depending upon our experience and orientation. This […]
In European countries emerging from lockdown, life in quarantine has mostly passed. We have moved to lives in emergence, a daily diary of risk assessment, advisories, and air bridges. Overtourism, at least for now, has returned to mere tourism, spiced by sanitizer, HEPA filters, and masks. Instagram and Facebook will […]
From the outset, defining the culture and character of a city is a daunting task. It involves storytelling and study, from within and without; it draws on art and science, religion and myth. It encompasses expectations, fantasy, and reality. Every individual has a different viewpoint based on his or her […]
Remember, the second meaning of “pandemic” is “universal.”
Kathy, I’m lost,” I said, though I knew she was sleeping.“I’m empty and aching and I don’t know why”Counting the cars on the New Jersey TurnpikeThey’ve all come to look for AmericaAll come to look for AmericaAll come to look for America Paul Simon It’s the strangest Fourth of July […]
