Musician and aspiring designer Kanye West stopped by Harvard’s Graduate School of Design for a surprise visit Sunday evening and delivered what Jenny Xie calls a manifesto on architecture.
Though West is as well known for his controversial opinions as he is for his music, the pep talk he delivered to Harvard's design students on Sunday evening is sure to win him admirers, at least among budding creatives. His impromptu speech, delivered atop a desk in the school's design studio, started with the affirmation that the world can be saved through design. West went on to praise the students' dedication to "[honing] their craft" and invite them all to his show that evening in Boston.
"I believe that utopia is actually possible," he added, "but we're led by the least noble, the least dignified, the least tasteful, the dumbest, and the most political."
See the video of his speech below:
FULL STORY: Kanye West Goes to Harvard, Delivers Manifesto on Architecture
Kanye West's Unpermitted Vision for Housing Utopia Has Been Demolished
Kanye had 45 days to submit plans for the unpermitted buildings built on his property in Calabasas, California. Instead, the rapper tore the buildings down.
Kanye West Lacks Permits for the Prototype Housing Units He Built
Kanye West's first foray into the development business is off to an inauspicious start.
New ‘City’ Elysium Planned in Spain
The development proposes a from-scratch sustainable community built on brand new land at the edge of a reservoir.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Congressman Proposes Bill to Rename DC Metro “Trump Train”
The Make Autorail Great Again Act would withhold federal funding to the system until the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), rebrands as the Washington Metropolitan Authority for Greater Access (WMAGA).
DARTSpace Platform Streamlines Dallas TOD Application Process
The Dallas transit agency hopes a shorter permitting timeline will boost transit-oriented development around rail stations.
New Jersey Duplexes Elicit Mixed Reactions
Modern, two-unit residences are proliferating in northern New Jersey communities, signaling for some a boon to the housing supply and to others a loss of historic architecture.
Renters Now Outnumber Homeowners in Over 200 US Suburbs
High housing costs in city centers and the new-found flexibility offered by remote work are pushing more renters to suburban areas.
The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs
The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.
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.
Municipality of Princeton
Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission
City of Mt Shasta
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)