- Social:
Project for Public Spaces
Founding President of Project for Public Spaces, a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating public places that foster communities
PROFILE
Fred Kent
Guest
FROM Fred Kent
Design and Architecture
Pershing Square Renewed? Four teams will share their visions for a renewed Pershing Square this week. DnA talks to lead designers about their concepts for creating a great city park and asks: Can the park be lowered? Who will pay for it? And does public space need extensive programming to succeed or simply a green and pleasant space?
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Redesigning Pershing Square Today, city officials announced a new chapter for L.A.’s first park, Pershing Square. They’re launching an international competition to redesign it. The all-concrete space that sits on top of a parking lot has been criticized for decades as a failed public space. There have been many past attempts to make it over. What’s the goal of this latest effort and how will it change the park? Photo: Seth Flaxman
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Making L.A.: Public Spaces Public spaces can make or break a city. They’re escapes from the relentless urban pace and help bring people together. They are town squares that make communities out of neighborhoods. They can even be engines for economic growth. But aside from the beach, Los Angeles has never been known for great public spaces. Just a few years ago, it was almost impossible to even have a sidewalk cafe. Is that changing? A vintage postcard shows an early Pershing Square
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Good Food
Shaking up the USDA, 'The Beef Cookbook' and 'Tartine All Day' Peggy Lowe explains why Trump’s pick for USDA Secretary is rattling rural America. Dario Cecchini talks future plans for Chianti ramen, and Richard Turner shares cuts from “PRIME: The Beef Cookbook.” Writer Matthew Sedacca looks at the controversy behind liquid smoke. Jonathan Gold tries Chengdu-style dishes, and Elisabeth Prueitt of Tartine fills us in on the latest. Plus, chef Michael Beckman shares a recipe for cactus confit.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
How do Trump supporters feel about the Paris Accord? Globally and around the U.S., there are strong opinions whether or not the Paris Climate Accord is a good idea. The American exit is either a horrifying abdication of American leadership or a forceful and long overdue statement about U.S. sovereignty.
The Business
In 'Speechless,' Scott Silveri combines comedy, family & disability Scott Silveri has written and produced sitcoms for more than 20 years. In all that time, he never encountered a TV family that looked anything like the one he grew up in -- with a mom, a dad...and a brother with cerebral palsy. He changed that with his show Speechless on ABC. Silveri tells us about looking to his own past for stories, and why he was determined to make a family comedy and not just a "disability show."
Design and Architecture
Securing Public Spaces, Super Wealthy Asians Vehicles are increasingly being used as weapons, as seen in the London Bridge attack over the weekend and in New York’s Times Square last month. The Compton-based company Calpipe is designing security bollards to help make public spaces safer. And novelist Kevin Kwan satirizes the “crazy rich” Asian jet set and their luxurious tastes in his latest book, “Rich People Problems.”