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 10/28/26 Chip Chip 10/28/26

Sheila Foster

Sheila Foster is a leading scholar of cities, democracy, and the urban commons. Her work explores how communities share responsibility for the public spaces, institutions, and resources that shape everyday life—and how collective stewardship can make cities more equitable, democratic, and inclusive.

Chip Chip 10/28/26 Chip Chip 10/28/26

Lab Gov

LabGov is an international research and action network developing practical models of collaborative urban governance, helping communities, institutions, and governments steward cities as shared resources.

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

Community Arts Stabilization Trust

San Francisco's Community Arts Stabilization Trust helps artists and cultural organizations secure affordable, permanent spaces, pioneering new models of community ownership and cultural preservation.

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.