Stalled Developments Documented

Photographer Daniel Kariko focuses on issues of land use in sensitive environments. His latest work looks at stalled suburban housing developments in the U.S.

1 minute read

June 21, 2011, 10:00 AM PDT

By Nate Berg


This piece from Domus interviews Kariko and shows some of his work.

"Domus: Due to the host of recent projects out there on foreclosed homes, that contemporary aesthetic is starting to seem cliché. These images of incomplete developments have something in common, but there is also an uncanny sense of suspended animation. How did you contend with the aesthetics of this project?

Daniel Kariko: I'm mostly interested in the content of the scene I'm depicting. The aesthetic is often a tool to draw in the viewer, so I can tell them my story. Any particular aesthetic, to me, exists as a top layer of the image, and, when peeled off, reveals a visual metaphor I intend to portray.

The sense of suspended animation is real-it is there when you drive through these subdivisions. In Lehigh Acres, one of the oldest communities, there might be entire blocks with several houses, with only one or two inhabited ones. For my aerial images, I typically chose to include the ones with no evidence of construction equipment, which was not that hard to do-99% of the images I made at that time were empty of any kind of discernable building activity."

Monday, June 20, 2011 in domus

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Use Code 25for25 at checkout for 25% off an annual plan!

Interior of Place Versailles mall in Montreal, Canada.

Montreal Mall to Become 6,000 Housing Units

Place Versailles will be transformed into a mixed-use complex over the next 25 years.

May 22, 2025 - CBC

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

May 28, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

White and yellow DART light rail train in Dallas, Texas with brick building in background.

DARTSpace Platform Streamlines Dallas TOD Application Process

The Dallas transit agency hopes a shorter permitting timeline will boost transit-oriented development around rail stations.

May 28, 2025 - Mass Transit

Screenshot of shade map of Buffalo, New York with legend.

Interactive Map Reveals America's “Shade Deserts”

Launched by UCLA and American Forests to combat heat-related deaths, the tool maps the shade infrastructure for over 360 U.S. cities.

June 3 - UCLA Newsroom

Close-up of person putting sticker on back of basket of electric tricycle with mock license plate reading "E-TRIKE."

Bicycles and Books — In Sacramento, Libraries Now Offer Both

Adult library card holders can check out e-bikes and e-trikes for up to one week.

June 3 - The Sacramento Bee

Large pile of unsorted garbage in landfill with birds flying above at sunrise or sunset.

Colorado Landfills Emit as Much Pollution as 1M Cars

Landfills are the third-largest source of methane pollution in Colorado, after agriculture and fossil fuel extraction.

June 3 - Colorado Newsline

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.