This Journal was essentially an exercise launched during the pandemic, and as a marketing tool for my third book. After my return to Seattle in 2022 and 2023, I wrote a few additional posts. In the interim, my writing (other than some third-party articles) has been based on Substack, at […]
Is there a predicate to “placemaking” where a place is analyzed and mastered? Is that process of immersion, which I so love to emphasize, part of the placemaking process, or should it be called something else? To many, the question poses a distinction without a difference. Nonetheless, in talking about […]
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 […]
Rob Cowan is a one-stop-shop for an understanding of place, and the associated role of urban design. Today, we talk about his many contributions to urbanism in the United Kingdom, including cartoons, words, training, and methodologies. These contributions played a big part in the practical sections of Sustaining a City’s […]
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 […]
Why sustain the status quo if it’s not good enough? After reconnecting with my friend, thought leader Dr. Tia Kansara, I’m even more fascinated with the capacity of our imagination to envision new forms of space and place. And I’m wondering if our book title should have been Replenishing a […]
