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.
William H. Whyte
William H. “Holly” Whyte transformed the study of public space by observing how people actually use cities. Through his pioneering Street Life Project, books, and films, he demonstrated that successful urban places are built around human behavior, social interaction, and the simple pleasures of everyday public life.
Veronica Crossa
Verónica Crossa is an urban scholar whose work explores public space, street vending, informality, and inequality in Mexico City. Her research asks what happens when efforts to “improve” public space collide with the livelihoods, relationships, and everyday lives of the people already using it.
Marian Anderson
Marian Anderson’s 1939 concert on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial drew an integrated crowd of 75,000 after she was denied Constitution Hall because of her race. The performance became a defining example of public space expanding who could gather, belong, and be seen as part of “We the People.”
Jay Pitter
Jay Pitter is an award-winning placemaker and author whose work explores belonging, cultural memory, equity, and public joy. Through planning, policy, teaching, and storytelling, she advances the idea that joyful public space is not a luxury, but essential urban infrastructure and a human right.