When Sustaining Place began late last Spring, I wrote several pieces about the emergence phases from the first English lockdown. There are parallels today, as the third lockdown begins to unwind. I wanted to revisit hints of resilience through a video essay on the changes to the commercial fabric of […]
Today, we pose questions based on Vodaphone’s world headquarters in Newbury (and the “Shaw Valley” housing development next door). Post-pandemic, will what is now empty–or under construction–remain? As Sustaining a City’s Culture and Character implies, these questions don’t have ready answers. They require careful assessment and review of corporate productivity […]
As we emerge from the pandemic, why center only on architectural compatibility or placemaking listicles? Why not admit the common adage, that the city–and its places–are a stage? As Futurecity Ltd cultural strategist Sherry Dobbin advises, the stage should be choreographed based on a comprehensive analysis of stakeholders’ fantasies and […]
Today, in Episode 8, I depart from recent episodes built around interviews. Rather, I offer a contemplative walk to a local setting that seems even more powerful in these strange times. This episode continues with themes of context and the embedded history of local places, but I find surprising relevance […]
Let’s talk about the hyperlocal places of Pandemica, where the successes of sustaining community may live or die. They are on my mind this New Year’s Day, after a long walk in West Berkshire. I saw many local instances of non-compliance with England’s Tier 4 COVID-19 guidelines. I considered the […]
I took a photo yesterday that explains the year. It’s about adaptation, and, ultimately, survival. It also addresses another dilemma: depending on the context of a place, or my mindset at different times, I find it hard to have confidence in what I see. I need the back story, which […]
Just for a moment, return with me to just a few months ago. Most everywhere, the need for urban retrofits and recalibration to avoid disease spread was already challenging enough. Then, of course, came civil unrest in Minneapolis, Atlanta, Seattle, Portland, and more; coronovirus was joined by the urban impacts […]
In these times, is it an outright elitist thing to run around with a Leica M-10P waxing poetic about how how to sustain the culture and character of a place? Maybe not, if the exercise continues to reveal simple truths about important things, and provides an easy, visual reference to […]
With apologies to Julius Caesar, all pandemic rail transport behavior is divided into three parts.
