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.

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Tim Tompkins

Tim Tompkins is a longtime leader in urban place management and the founder of SharedCity, a consultancy focused on helping cities and downtown organizations create more vibrant, inclusive, and resilient places. Previously President of the Times Square Alliance, his work spans public space, economic development, arts and culture, placemaking, and the evolving role of downtowns in civic life.

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Setha Low

Anthropologist and urban scholar whose influential work explores public space, culture, access, belonging, and the ways social and political life are embedded in the built environment.

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Coexistence in Public Space

Developed by SPUR and Gehl through work at San José’s Guadalupe River Park, Coexistence in Public Space asks how parks and public spaces can provide joy, belonging, and safety for everyone—including people experiencing homelessness. Its central proposition is simple but powerful: What if we designed public space for coexistence rather than exclusion?