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Tech NewsThese Staged Pictures Are Perfect Visions of Imperfect Public Spaces
It may seem, at first glance, like a typical summer scene. But the photographs of busy beaches, airports and public buildings by Alex Prager are actually elaborately choreographed images. A new exhibition, Alex Prager: Face in the Crowd, features large-scale color photographs that capture her glorified versions of simple human interaction. For Prager, a photograph … Continued
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ScienceHealth
An emerging maker culture building Cincinnati, a “Green Line” making a Mexican city healthier, and a car-free festival changing L.A.—all that, plus preserving post offices in an age of email and three plans to save San Francisco from a housing crisis, in this week’s Urban Reads. “In America, nearly every city and town has, or … Continued
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Tech News
Being on a Smartphone Makes You More Likely to Use Public Spaces—Kinda
In the 1960s, a sociologist named William H. Whyte revealed something interesting about the behavior of people in parks and plazas across the U.S.: people liked being with people. But has that changed now that everyone carries a tiny computer in their hands? According to a new study: no. Throughout the 60s and 70s, Whyte’s … Continued
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Tech News
Meeting Tony Hsieh, the Mayor of Downtown Las Vegas
I’m not gonna lie: It’s a lot like meeting Oz in his Emerald City. Mostly because no one associated with him would set up a formal time for me to meet with Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos and the financial and philosophical force behind the Downtown Project, the $350 million urban revitalization program transforming downtown … Continued
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Tech News
Visiting the Downtown Project’s New Vegas Parks: Pretty, But Private
On the Downtown Project’s website, among several lofty goals—such as adding ground-level density and creating passionate communities for downtown Las Vegas—one goal sticks out as a bit different, if not simply odd: “Create the shipping container capital of the world.” I am not sure that title is something any other city or neighborhood has laid … Continued
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Tech News
Do We Have a Legal Right to Light?
With supertall towers popping up along Central Park’s southern edge like wildly expensive luxury mushrooms, Manhattan’s largest park is about to be cast into shadow—some as long as half a mile. The real estate boom is stirring up a debate: Do we have a “right to light”? Not in America. But there are plenty of … Continued
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Tech News
Why We Don’t Need Parking Day Anymore
As you’re driving around town today, you may find yourself asking these questions: Why are they sold out of astroturf at the hardware store? How did this cello end up in the street? Who are these people doing yoga in my parking spot? Welcome to the ninth annual Parking Day. Parking Day (or, one of … Continued