The Sidewalk Ballet Field Guide
The Sidewalk Ballet Field Guide is a growing collection of people, organizations, projects, books, ideas and ongoing conversations about cities and the people who shape them. It grows out of the podcast, but extends well beyond it—connecting the people doing the work, the places where it’s happening, and the ideas, experiments and resources worth carrying forward. Think of it as part reference library, part trail of breadcrumbs: a way to follow the conversation wherever it leads.
Explore by type, browse alphabetically or by date, or search for something specific. Follow the tags to discover connections—or explore the map to see where the people, projects and ideas in the Field Guide take us.
The Transgender District
Founded by three black trans women in 2017 as Compton’s Transgender Cultural District, The Transgender District is the first legally recognized transgender district in the world.
Kate Robinson
Kate Robinson is Executive Director of the Tenderloin Community Benefit District (TLCBD) in San Francisco, where she leads work to improve quality of life and strengthen community in one of the city’s most diverse and complex neighborhoods. Her work brings together public-space stewardship, clean and safe programs, community engagement, economic opportunity, and neighborhood advocacy, with an emphasis on solutions shaped by the people who live and work in the Tenderloin.
Black Public Joy
Black Public Joy is a framework developed by placemaker Jay Pitter that centers the right of Black communities not only to safety and belonging in public space, but to pleasure, celebration, beauty, rest, and collective joy. It positions joy as essential urban infrastructure—and as something cities can intentionally make room for.
SF Black Wall Street
SF Black Wall Street works to strengthen Black economic power, entrepreneurship, and community in San Francisco by connecting and supporting Black-owned businesses. Through advocacy, events, business development, and community-building, the organization helps sustain a thriving Black business ecosystem while celebrating the culture, history, and contributions of San Francisco’s Black communities.