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.
Zohran Mamdani
Zohran Mamdani is the Mayor of New York City. His administration has experimented with bringing organizing directly into city government, including the creation of the Mayor’s Office of Mass Engagement to expand the ways New Yorkers participate in shaping public decisions.
Ice Cream Tour of California
Don Lane’s month-long celebration of ice cream, small pleasures, and the places that create them. During July 2026, he traveled across California visiting nearly 100 independent ice cream shops—not to rank them, but to celebrate everyday sources of joy in communities across the state.
Pico
PICO is the canine face of the Social District in Downtown Los Angeles and the inspiration behind Pico’s Corner, the district’s collection of resources for neighborhood dogs and their people. The guide connects residents and visitors with dog parks, the district’s Barklets, grooming, veterinary care, pet stores, and doggy day care—an unusually delightful example of a business district treating four-legged residents as part of downtown life.