We are celebrating 15 years — and counting — of stories that are deeply researched and deeply felt, that build a historical record of what the city has been.

 
 
Author

Lucas Vaqueiro

Lucas Vaqueiro is a civic designer and researcher with a particular focus on the local level and a deep fascination with bureaucratic systems. He is currently a Program Strategist at 3x3 and an instructor at Parsons School of Design. While working for the São Paulo City Hall, Lucas and his friends created the @esteticadaburocracia Instagram account, a collaborative project for collecting, registering, and appreciating the public sector offices around Brazil. Lucas holds an MFA in Transdisciplinary Design from Parsons School of Design and a B.A. in International Relations from the University of São Paulo.
New City Critics

Pothole Chic

Civic leaders have long expressed their allegiances and courted public trust through sartorial choices. Can the current mayor’s OSHA-compliant uniform inspire a new guard of civic engagement?
Policy
Lucas Vaqueiro • Jul 08, 2026
New City Critics

A Labor of Love

Up a marble staircase, in the attic of City Hall, a trio of civil servants steward an eclectic archive of city objects.

Architecture, Arts, Policy
Lucas Vaqueiro • Apr 08, 2026
New City Critics

Medieval Times

The MTA’s latest military-inspired tactics to curb fare evasion may be fighting the wrong enemy.

Infrastructure, Policy, Technology, Transportation
Lucas Vaqueiro • Jan 28, 2026
New City Critics

The Midnight Shift

A small task force listens in on an obscure city soundtrack to maintain a century-old water system.

Environment, Infrastructure, Technology
Lucas Vaqueiro • Dec 03, 2025

Ex Officio

The esthetics of the public sector workplace are mundane, comical, absurd, and constantly navigating the tensions of liberal democracy.
Architecture, Policy
Judy Park Lee, Casey Peterson, and Lucas Vaqueiro • Feb 01, 2023