The Sidewalk Issue

The Sidewalk Issue looks at sidewalks as civic phenomena that extend far beyond their concrete surfaces. More than pedestrian infrastructure, they are everywhere and yet almost nowhere in design discourse. Sidewalks exist at the boundary between overarching systems and specific events: regulated by laws, yet animated by the shared experiences of the public.

This collection of essays observes and analyzes the ways sidewalks mediate between architectural understanding and the appearance of civic life in our communities.

In Common Ground, Felipe Correa, Uros Novakovic, and Peter Sealy discuss the vital role of sidewalks in sustaining public life; in Where the Sidewalks Never End, Mai Okimoto reflects on the act of strolling through República, São Paulo; in Parking Landscapes, Pouya Khadem and Mai Okimoto capture the overlooked terrain of the American strip mall; and in A Concrete Event, Lauren Phillips considers sidewalks as an ethical and civic framework.

Our previous thread addressed the subtle intersections of architecture and storytelling, which document how our surroundings reflect and influence our lives. Contributors included Jimmy Bullis, Joël León Danis, Athenea Papacostas, Lauren Phillips, Ivonne Santoyo-Orozco, and Orçun Yazıcı.

Pouya Khadem, Sebastián López Cardozo, Mai Okimoto, and Lauren Phillips