Category Archives: Urbanism and planning

Rethinking Homs’s future

Posted on September 6, 2016 by David Brussat

Last April, Roger Scruton wrote an essay on an architect in Syria who hopes to help plan her wrecked hometown’s future. I posted Scruton’s essay on my blog, titled “Scruton, Haussmann, Syria.” The reference to Haussmann, who is responsible for … Continue reading →

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The parking meter idiocy

Posted on June 19, 2016 by David Brussat

Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza appears determined to serve a single term. How do I know? Just look! He is trying to offend every constituency he can by installing parking meters where they shop. Several neighborhoods on the East Side have … Continue reading →

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Hitler’s revenge on America

Posted on June 8, 2016 by David Brussat

The journal Places has published, as the inaugural installment in its Future Archive series of forgotten writing of the past century, a 1968 essay for Art in America by Sibyl Moholy-Nagy called “Hitler’s Revenge.” The essay is introduced by Despina … Continue reading →

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Our buildings, our selves

Posted on June 6, 2016 by David Brussat

Ann Sussman, author with Justin Hollander of Cognitive Architecture, has an article in Planning magazine, “Planning for the Subconscious,” that suggests that the millennia-long evolution of how we shape buildings and places placates the inner urges of our minds and … Continue reading →

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The “Brutalist” website fad

Posted on June 5, 2016 by David Brussat

The Washington Post reports that “The hottest trend in Web design is making intentionally ugly, difficult websites.”  The article by Katherine Acrement states: Look at Hacker News. Pinboard. The Drudge Report. Adult Swim. Bloomberg Businessweek features. All of these sites … Continue reading →

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Providence PVDfest today!

Posted on June 4, 2016 by David Brussat

We adventured into downtown Providence late this afternoon for PVDfest, the city’s second annual international arts festival (last year’s shindig was the Providence International Arts Festival – deemed too big a mouthful). Day was grayish but without any seeming threat … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Architecture History, Art and design, Development, Landscape Architecture, Photography, Preservation, Providence, Rhode Island, Urbanism and planning | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Degrading Paris newsstands

Posted on June 4, 2016 by David Brussat

My correspondent in Paris, Mary Campbell Gallagher, warns that its mayor, Anne Hidalgo, wants to replace the city’s historic newsstands with a new version of greater spaciousness but lesser gloire. In its relative mildness, this initiative seems to contradict almost … Continue reading →

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The Palladio Awards of 2016

Posted on June 3, 2016 by David Brussat

The Palladio Awards may not get the attention of the Driehaus Prize, which does not get the attention of the Pritzker Prize. But the Palladios are the first and only national architecture award that recognizes specific traditional projects and their … Continue reading →

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How to keep Portland weird

Posted on May 31, 2016 by David Brussat

Portland, Ore., is a city so satisfied with itself that it can afford to enjoy a TV show, Portlandia, that makes fun of its foibles. And of course, foibles are easily fobbed off. They are not actual problems. Most cities … Continue reading →

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Shots of first full WaterFire

Posted on May 29, 2016 by David Brussat

Last night was the first full WaterFire of the season here in Providence. I generally visit rather late, when the crowds have drawn down and parking is easy, well, easier. The lead-off photo above, taken by WaterFire volunteer photographer Jim … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Architecture History, Art and design, Books and Culture, Development, Interior Design, Landscape Architecture, Photography, Preservation, Providence, Urbanism and planning, Video | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments