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.
Closer with Carol Coletta and Mark Wallace
Closer is a conversation about the strategies that make cities social – and why that’s the smartest investment in the urban toolkit.
Palaces for the People
In Palaces for the People, sociologist Eric Klinenberg explores the power of social infrastructure—the libraries, parks, markets, and gathering places that build relationships, strengthen communities, and support civic life. A compelling argument for investing in the places that bring people together.
Why Public Space Matters
Drawing on decades of ethnographic research around the world, Setha Low examines how public spaces contribute to belonging, social connection, justice, and democratic life—and why the everyday experience of plazas, parks, markets, beaches, and sidewalks matters to individual and collective flourishing.