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Words on the Street

The best writing on urbanism and place from around the web
McDonalds

Each week, New Urbs collects the best content we’ve read each week that we didn’t publish—but would have. Read something you think should make the cut? E-mail Jon Coppage or tag @NewUrbs with the link on Twitter.

“McDonalds: You can sneer, but it’s the glue that holds communities together.” via The Guardian

Most importantly though, McDonald’s provide many with the chance to make real and valuable connections. When faced with the greatest challenges, with a personal loss, wealthier Americans turn to expensive therapists, others without the resources or the availability, turn to each other.

“How ‘New Localism’ Is Democratizing Urban Growth” via Brookings

The focus of the new American localism on unlocking the latent capacity and creativity of public, private, and civic networks differs markedly from the focus of traditional federalism on relationships between levels of government, particularly the federal government and the states.

“The Trouble With Terminators” via Places Journal

At the core of the disagreement between landform building and historical replication is a dilemma. Has the rupture of the Modern forever broken any possibility of continuity with the past?

“When Architects Smiled at the Future” via the Washington Free Beacon

Oh, arrogance shouted from every bit of its installation. The future would be all plastic and aluminum, you see. The future would be white as eggshells and curved in aerodynamic waves. The future could forget the useless past, the thousands of years the human race spent learning how to build, because… because the future would be electric, man, and cool as low-key jazz.

“Design for the One Percent” via Jacobin

Architecture is unique for its inherent social and utilitarian value. No one lost a home when Dylan went electric. No one became an indentured servant to print the latest Franzen. Yet ordinary people, whether they like it or not, must live with the consequences of architecture’s creations.

“New Urbs” is supported by a grant from the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation.

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