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.
Malabar Hill Forest Trail
The Malabar Hill Forest Trail is an elevated nature trail winding through a wooded hillside in one of Mumbai’s densest neighborhoods. Designed by IMK Architects, the project creates public access to an overlooked urban ecosystem while minimizing disturbance to the forest floor.
Trauma Informed Placemaking
Trauma Informed Placemaking offers an introduction to understanding trauma and healing in place. It offers insights that researchers and practitioners can apply to their place-based practice, learning from a global cohort of place leaders and communities.
United Nations Development Programe
UNDP works in about 170 countries and territories, helping to eradicate poverty, reduce inequalities and exclusion, and build resilience so countries can sustain progress. As the UN’s development agency, UNDP plays a critical role in helping countries achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
Submersible Embankment Project
In Sunamganj, Bangladesh, communities work with government engineers to build and dismantle portions of a submersible embankment each year—protecting rice crops before harvest while allowing seasonal flooding afterward. The project combines local knowledge, ecological adaptation, and community participation in an unusual model of co-produced infrastructure.