Field Notes – Physical

bec for bacon, egg, and cheese is a small storefront in the Chelsea neighborhood of New York City. A clear design strategy is evident with use of reclaimed materials in an older storefront that has been sensitively adapted and reused. This creates a warm, welcoming, and joyful place to connect...

The High Line is a piece of transformative infrastructure linking several neighborhoods on the West Side of Manhattan. Starting at the 34th Street entrance we walk the High Line in reverse from the newest extension towards the original section. This interim walkway has no formal plantings and the walking surface...

Volunteers found two pianos that were donated, moved them, put heavy-duty rollers on the base and set them on the sidewalk Summer 2018.

Glassboro owes much of its explosive growth due to close proximity to Rowan University. A major Nexus Properties multi-family development has greatly enhanced the residential population in and around downtown. This in turn has driven market dynamics supportive of businesses locating here. The center focal point of the development is...

Winter Park has a collection of modern and traditional houses in a waterfront setting, north of downtown Orlando. Local architectural rules emphasize bold structural frames, contrasting natural wood paneling with crisp white finishes, and expansive flat rooflines. Large floor-to-ceiling windows and open-concept glass entries are intentionally utilized to maximize natural...

The historic Pershing Square Building is located at 125 Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, directly across the street from Grand Central Terminal at the intersection of Park Avenue and 42nd Street. Begun in 1921 and completed in 1923, it was built by firms York and Sawyer alongside Sloan & Robertson....

We only had a short time to take in the Power & Light District while visiting Kansas City for the Main Street Now conference. We were struck by these Art Nouveau lights as we grabbed a quick lunch inside a grocery store. This Art Deco skyscraper with setbacks had a...

Ai Weiwei public art installation featured banners with the theme "Good Fences Make Good Neighbors."

The Metuchen Downtown Alliance created a cool, family-friendly public gathering space in “the worst looking spot in town” with the help of just $2,500 in Edward Jones Placemaking on Main Challenge matching grant funds--and lots of ingenuity and elbow grease. Here’s their story and valuable lessons learned. If I’ve learned no other lesson...

Artist Edward Wetzel set out to create a 3D pedestrian crossing on December 2, 2017. The location was a private parking lot near a building that was recently substantially renovated and housing several restaurants and a retail shop. Despite being a parking lot, people would walk through between Main Street...