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.
Black Public Joy
Black Public Joy is a framework developed by placemaker Jay Pitter that centers the right of Black communities not only to safety and belonging in public space, but to pleasure, celebration, beauty, rest, and collective joy. It positions joy as essential urban infrastructure—and as something cities can intentionally make room for.
Tinicsh Hollins
Tinisch Hollins is a San Francisco-born organizer, policy advocate, and civic leader working at the intersection of public safety, economic justice, and Black community power. As co-founder of SF Black Wall Street, her work asks a fundamental city-making question: who gets to stay, build wealth, and help shape the future of a place?
Reclaiming your Community
Majora Carter argues that communities facing persistent poverty need talent-retention strategies just as businesses do. Building from her maxim that no one should have to leave their neighborhood to live in a better one, she offers an approach to community development rooted in keeping local talent and opportunity.
Gwen Brown
Gwen Brown is a San Francisco community leader and co-founder and co-director of SF Black Wall Street, an organization advancing Black economic empowerment, cultural preservation, and community-building in San Francisco. Her work has included youth and workforce development, neighborhood investment, public-space activation, and creating opportunities for Black-owned businesses and entrepreneurs; she has also served on San Francisco’s African American Reparations Advisory Committee.