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On October 17th, 1989, the Oakland A’s were playing the San Francisco Giants in the World Series, but just as the game was kicking off—the television broadcast cut out. When the signal came back, it was no longer the baseball game. These were the early minutes of the Loma Prieta earthquake, which struck near Santa
A border is an idea so powerful that we never even have to see it to believe it. Or believe in it. Global borders can be sites of peace and conflict, violence and celebration, opportunity and confinement. And borders as they exist today – which is to say, increasingly militarized and clearly defined – are
Last year, an accident left my right arm and shoulder numb and paralyzed. After extensive testing, doctors determined that I had severely injured my right brachial plexus — a crucial nexus of nerve pathways carrying signals back and forth between my spinal column and right upper extremities. It was made clear that I shouldn’t expect
Memphis, Tennessee is home to many historic landmarks. Like Graceland, and Beale Street. But one of their biggest tourist magnets is their Bass Pro Shops. Usually, Bass Pro is the place to buy hunting and fishing gear. But the one in Memphis, it’s less of a store, and more of a camo-colored amusement park. On
In a limestone cave deep in Central Slovenia, an unremarkable insect lives in complete darkness. This tiny beetle, barely visible to the naked eye, has no eyes and a brownish-yellow coloration—adaptations to a life spent entirely underground. The beetle has survived for approximately two million years in this harsh environment, yet in the past century,
More in architecture
Television promised us walkable neighborhoods, close-knit communities and spacious homes. The reality of suburban life tells a different story.
The IBX, New York City’s biggest transit expansion since World War II, could unlock tens of thousands of homes and billions in value.
This post is brought to you by Sam Fox School at Washington University in St. Louis Linda C. Samuels, an architecture and urban design professor at Washington University in St. Louis and author of “Infrastructural Optimism,” shares the impact an urban design perspective can have through the lens of two recent trips to New York. “There’s no question that urban design impacts the lives of all New Yorkers. Whether it’s the buildings we live in, the streets we cross, the parks we play in, or broader issues of housing, climate adaptation, public space, or transit accessibility, questions of design are always at stake.” Daniel Garodnick, former chair and director, New York City Department of City Planning, Principles of Good Urban Design for New York City Top/Up urbanism and TKTS booth, Times Square. Photos: Linda C. Samuels, 2010. The last time I was in New York City was 2010. Janette Sadik-Khan, the former transportation commissioner, had just painted Times Square with big red and green p...
The scale of commerce, preservation versus urban life, manufactured housing, and a funny restaurant review
Given the vast numbers of commuters that the Long Island Railroad carries, It’s easy to forget that it also carries freight. From a couple of years ago, a view of tracks elevated above Glendale, Queens, as a freight train with a much-grafittied hopper car goes by some brick bow-front rowhouses:
