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 10/27/26 Chip Chip 10/27/26

Co-City Baton Rouge

Co-City Baton Rouge is pioneering community-led redevelopment through an innovative land bank and trust, giving residents a lasting role in shaping and stewarding their neighborhood's future.

Chip Chip 10/27/26 Chip Chip 10/27/26

NeighborSpace

Chicago's NeighborSpace land trust protects community gardens from development while empowering neighborhood groups to manage and steward shared green spaces as urban commons.

Chip Chip 7/4/26 Chip Chip 7/4/26

Co Cities

Co-Cities explores new models of urban governance based on collaboration and shared stewardship. Drawing on examples from cities around the world, Sheila Foster and Christian Iaione examine how communities, governments, businesses, and civic institutions can collectively manage urban resources and services.

Chip Chip 11/4/25 Chip Chip 11/4/25

Hyperlocal

Hyperlocal examines the growing world of place-based governance—from business improvement districts and community land trusts to neighborhood councils. By looking at these organizations as an interconnected field, the book explores their potential to shape more responsive, inclusive communities—and the complicated questions of representation, resources, accountability, and power that come with them.