On LEARNing the City

In the latest issue of The Journal of Public Space, I had the fortunate opportunity to summarize Fulbright work in Australia almost two years ago and reflect on my soon-to-be trilogy of books on how to understand and improve urban environments. I’m grateful to the Editors for the chance to clarify lessons learned about local culture and context (and to reconsider them again today in the era of COVID-19).

Here is a short excerpt from the Abstract, and a link to the full Viewpoint:

My viewpoint towards understanding cities is ecumenical and immersive. We all experience urban life, and have associated expectations, however simple or complex. In democracies, informed representatives are said to advance the needs of their constituents. Basic human needs are similar, but how they are expressed and sorted in a chosen location are not, so places will vary based on blends and mixtures of expression. To understand the particulars of a city, we must understand associated and customized needs, as well as opportunities to provide them.

Wolfe, Charles. 2020. “LEARNING the City: Beyond the Urban Diary”. The Journal of Public Space 5 (2), 155–60. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.32891/jps.v5i2.1288.

The remainder of the Article is found here.