How to save our cities: leading architect on the fall of the neoliberal city
What has happen to New York since the Bloomberg era? What lessons can we draw lessons from a city that was home to both Jane Jacobs and Donald Trump? The city is no longer the place it once was. As the skyline becomes a selection of glittering luxury towers by international start architects, life on the street is becoming increasingly divided. In the aftermath of 9/11, Ground Zero has been handed over to the developers. The West Village has gentrified and become a playground for the rich. What, Michael Sorkin asks, is a radical architect and urban thinker with a vision of a fair and diverse city supposed to do?
In a series of brilliant portraits, essays and pieces he explores the ideas and the realities of urban living. This includes a searing attack on the corporate take over of Ground Zero, turning a place of memory into a shopping mall designed by staritects. What the 'poor door' shows us about the growing divisions within the city. The importance of architects learning to draw. How the city survived hurricane Sandy and what it might face in the future.
