This episode of 99% Invisible explores public spaces and their role in political change, and how over hundreds of years, riots have defined New York's Tompkins Square Park -- despite efforts to design unrest out.
In a recent article for Urban Omnibus, Vishaan Chakrabarti, Professor at the Graduate School for Architecture, Planning and Preservation at Columbia University, writes about the role of public places in political change. 99% Invisible looks at that thesis through the lens of New York's Tompkins Square Park.
"Host of WFMU's Too Much Information, Benjamen Walker, took a walk with Chakrabarti down to Tompkins Square Park to talk about the past and present design of the space and how the layout has affected the public actions that have taken place there. Chakrabarti also relates this to the current protests in the Middle East. Twitter and Facebook may have had a significant role in organizing the protests, but if there is no place for everyone to gather, what possible change can result?"
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