New City Critics
Feral Monument
Beloved for their innocence and feared as vectors of disease, pigeons are a divisive and constant presence in New York City. A monumental statue atop the High Line urges us to consider how our feral friends (or foes) are in fact just like us.
Main Character Energy
Since the 1970s, citrus-hued seats in L-shaped arrangements have offered commuters a warm embrace. Where will subway riders find romance when the Tang-toned seats go?
The Real Counterfeit
A 15-story stack of Louis Vuitton branded suitcases claiming to be scaffolding landed on Fifth Avenue in November. But reading the structure through the lens of the building code raises questions about our grasp on reality and the rule of law.
Criticism as an Act of Love
Hyperlocal settings frame larger phenomena including stormwater management, the politics of place names, ersatz infrastructure, the tyranny of private property, and other signs of the never-ending change that characterizes the city.
Meet the 2024-2025 New City Critics Fellows
New City Critics fellows — architects, journalists, artists, a city planner and a rapper among them — will be training a critical gaze on New York City over the next nine months.
Long Island is Bugging Me
A disquisition into the urban/suburban and human/insect divides, and how people might come together when their surroundings are planned to keep them apart.
Accounting for Community
What kind of bank can help secure New York neighborhoods' future? The same small banks that have been doing it all along.
Building Worlds In-Between
Navigating multiple identities, homes, and professional cultures, where can Black urbanists locate an authentic, creative practice?
Utopia is a Vacant Lot in Rockaway
On the voids storms and plans leave behind, and what we do with them.
Introducing the Inaugural Cohort of New City Critics
Meet the 2022 fellows in a program to empower new and diverse voices to challenge the ways we understand, design, and develop our cities.
Support New City Critics!
Announcing the launch of a campaign to create a new fellowship program empowering fearless and diverse voices to challenge the ways we design, plan, and develop our cities.
About this Series
New City Critics is a joint project of Urban Omnibus/The Architectural League of New York and Urban Design Forum to encourage a more expansive conversation on the future of cities.
The views expressed here are those of the authors only and do not reflect the position of The Architectural League of New York or Urban Design Forum.
