Ivan Himanen is an architect, urbanist, and researcher based in New York City.
This is a work of fiction. Your dropped your pills at a show. Their quantity gave me pause. Like, not so many that you’re dealing, but not so few that you’re not relying on them for something. The Curravax bag didn’t make things any clearer. For a while I thought I’d hit the jackpot. Saturday…
Last week I read through New York Review of Architecture #45. In the Wrecking Ball column, so named for its provocative articles, Andy Battle took a sledgehammer to that monument of 20th century urbanism: Jane Jacobs and The Death and Life of Great American Cities. The article is here in full. While I applaud NYRA’s…
I. Among the Kindies The AECOM office on 38th and 3rd is bland. Even with the plants, adjustable desks, and breakout spaces, it lacks a certain buzz. The physical traces of creativity, craft, and culture– 3d printed models, vendor brochures, marketing posters, personal knickknacks– are subsumed into the black and white tones of the furniture.…
I do what I do to imagine better futures. When the Urban Design Forum accepted my application to accompany them on a study trip to Copenhagen from May 19th-23rd, I set my intention to go in with my mind empty and my eyes open. It would have been too easy to tint my perception with…
Neologism time! We’ve all been there– you meet someone and stick your paw out– thumb up, fingers forward– for a handshake. The other person does the same, but theirs is a fist. Suddenly you both freeze. Your friend extends their fingers to match yours (because let’s be honest, handshakes are classic, respectable, and universal). You…
On the first weekend of November, while walking my neighborhood, I passed by a flyer with an intriguing picture (see above). It showed the small green space that sits between Leni’s playground and the promenade, with a kiosk in it. It asked the question: would you like to see a European-style cafe or kiosk in…
Since about 2012, Charlotte and I have been observing a phenomenon that it’s about time to mint. Sometimes you walk into a restaurant or cafe and the place is blissfully empty. No line to the counter, every table unoccupied, an idle staff member ready to take your order. Instead of pinching yourself you check the…
As a first step into the larger project that is Reverse Commute, it’s essential to first draw the map of the communities I’m drawing together. Who are the folks living on the edge of the transit system? Is the presence of a station in their neighborhood relevant or impactful? How might livelihoods improve if the…
Developers build houses and call them “homes.” They build socially sterile subdivisions and call them “communities.” It’s called “warming the product.” It’s also happening with alleged third places. Officials of a popular coffeehouse chain often claim that their establishments are third places, but they aren’t. Roy Oldenburg, Introduction to Celebrating the Third Place: Inspiring Stories About the…
This is a work of fiction. It was given Honorable Mention for the As Seen On [] writing contest for Urban Omnibus in 2016. I am the meanest mother in Kings. Other Method Man, they call me. But even that’s a short sell, because I don’t just De Niro that shit. I make it real.…