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What If McMansions Ruled the World? In the new book Atlas of Another America, architect Keith Krumwiede mixes satire, sci-fi, and the sublime in his plans for utopian villages built out of suburban mega-homes. CityLab, March 8, 2017 Whether on the gleefully snarky blog McMansion Hell or in haunting photos of cul-de-sacs abandoned during the…

President Trump is gung-ho about the U.S. producing more goods. But what, exactly, should cities be making in the 21st century? CityLab, Feb. 20, 2017 When President Donald Trump announced his Manufacturing Jobs Initiative last month, he was moving forward on a promise he made over and over during his campaign: to make America great…

How to Reinvent Historic Preservation A movement that began in earnest when Penn Station was demolished more than 50 years ago can still be a force for good, but not without a change in its mission. Architect, January 2017 My first job out of graduate school was an internship at Preservation, the magazine of the…

Can a faux 1950s downtown sharpen the minds of dementia patients? The Atlantic, January/February 2017 An estimated 5.4 million people in the United States suffer from Alzheimer’s disease, a number that is expected to rise as the Baby Boomers age. Still more suffer from other forms of dementia. To keep such patients’ minds engaged and…

Bridging D.C.’s Starkest Divide Can a park over the Anacostia River spur a revolution in urban development? Next City, Nov. 21, 2016 On the evening of Sept. 17, people in running shoes swarmed over Washington, D.C.’s Yards Park. Contestants in a relay race, they chatted with team members wearing matching T-shirts, some emblazoned with the…