One night not long ago my wife and I attended an Arcade Fire concert at the United Center in the … More
Category: Urbanism
The Global Bourgeois Tribe
it’s a certain sensibility that ties these places together, a kind of progressive globalism, one that cherishes diversity and authenticity, … More
Paris Is a Finished City
“Paris . . . is a finished city.” –Alexandre Gady, president of the Société pour la Protection des Paysages et de … More
Why Are Chicago Bicyclists Such Jerks?
Why are Chicago bicyclists such jerks? Maybe because for years Chicago bicyclists engaged in a Darwinian struggle for existence against cars, … More
Islam and Kitsch: The Destruction of Mecca
Good taste has been banished from Mecca (see the hideous kitsch of the Makkah Royal Clock Tower above). So has … More
Gentrifizierung
This is an old story familiar to residents of many American cities: artists and other creatives revive an abandoned … More
Retiring to McDonalds
The guy in the cubicle next to me is a few years away from retirement. He knows, to the day, … More
Pullman National Park?
Chicago's Pullman neighborhood, where Pullman railroad cars were once manufactured, may become a national park. Located on Chicago's South Side, … More
Is Selling DIA Really Such a Bad Idea?
Peter Schjeldahl should be fired. via hyperallergic.com This is Hrag Vartanian in high dudgeon over The New Yorker art critic's … More
After Gezi Park
William Harris provides a long background piece on the Gezi Park protests in Istanbul. To Americans, the protests look more … More
One-Way Street 