http://urbanomnibus.net/2009/03/on-criticism/ Exploring the culture of citymaking Fri, 10 Feb 2012 12:28:36 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://urbanomnibus.net/2009/03/on-criticism/comment-page-1/#comment-111 Alec Appelbaum Mon, 09 Mar 2009 19:36:22 +0000 http://urbanomnibus.net/?p=2858#comment-111 When easy credit vanished, the aura of power surrounding glossy renderings popped. We can't presume to treat a design for a building as a snapshot from the future. It no longer seems conscientious to cover architecture merely as entertainment, a lulling series of pictures. It seems timely to cover it as economic activity, scientific progress and human ego. I'm trying to show cities' changes as a series of decisions that readers can interrupt. By writing about what a design would cost or where its logic buckles, we reporters can help readers feel like owners of their cities- as emotional as sports fans following their teams- and not like passive viewers of spectacle. When easy credit vanished, the aura of power surrounding glossy renderings popped. We can’t presume to treat a design for a building as a snapshot from the future. It no longer seems conscientious to cover architecture merely as entertainment, a lulling series of pictures. It seems timely to cover it as economic activity, scientific progress and human ego. I’m trying to show cities’ changes as a series of decisions that readers can interrupt. By writing about what a design would cost or where its logic buckles, we reporters can help readers feel like owners of their cities- as emotional as sports fans following their teams- and not like passive viewers of spectacle.

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