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.

Chip Chip 8/25/26 Chip Chip 8/25/26

Color the Curb

Color the Curb is a joint agency project between DDOT, the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities (CAH), and DC Public Schools (DCPS). Color the Curb is a subset of DDOT's Arts in the Right-of-Way (AROW) program, which supports designs that transform intersections into works of art to increase the safety and visibility of pedestrians while adding visual interest to the area.

Chip Chip 4/14/26 Chip Chip 4/14/26

The jeepney: a history, and hopefully, a future

This essay from Filipeanut traces the evolution of the Philippine jeepney from prewar jitneys and autocalesas through the repurposing of American military jeeps after World War II and their emergence as one of the country’s most recognizable forms of public transportation. It explores the jeepney as both a remarkably accessible, locally created transit system and an expression of Filipino culture, while examining the difficult questions of pollution, safety, affordability, livelihoods, and cultural heritage raised by efforts to modernize the fleet.

Chip Chip 3/10/26 Chip Chip 3/10/26

Warm Cookies of the Revolution

Warm Cookies of the Revolution was Denver’s “civic health club,” founded by artist and organizer Evan Weissman. Through gatherings combining art, conversation, food, games, and unexpected formats, it created approachable ways for people to wrestle with public issues and practice democracy together.

Chip Chip 2/10/26 Chip Chip 2/10/26

Bowl Plaza

Bowl Plaza in Lucas, Kansas, turns the public restroom into roadside attraction, public artwork, and community project all at once. Covered in elaborate mosaics and shaped with a healthy sense of humor, it offers an exuberant answer to a rarely asked city-making question: why shouldn't the bathroom be memorable?