The 99% Invisible City Quotes

“For better or worse, defensive designs limit the range of activities people can engage in. They can also create real problems for the elderly or disabled. Some of the goals of unpleasant designs can seem noble, but they follow a potentially dangerous logic with respect to public spaces. When supposed solutions address symptoms of a problem rather than the root causes, that problem is not solved but only pushed down the street to the next block or neighborhood. Spikes beget spikes, and targeted individuals are just moved around without addressing the underlying issues.”
― Roman Mars, The 99% Invisible City: A Field Guide to the Hidden World of Everyday Design

“In the Mission District of San Francisco, observant passersby can discover the heroic history behind a fire hydrant that sits on an otherwise ordinary sidewalk. In the wake of the 1906 earthquake that shook San Francisco, a great blaze swept through the city. Many of the water mains failed and other lines ran dry, but one hydrant continued to function. This bit of infrastructure is credited with saving the Mission District from total destruction. Today, the hydrant has been painted gold and its importance has been further memorialized with an adjacent plaque. The small marker tells a huge city-defining tale of tragedy and triumph and highlights a moment in time that reshaped a metropolis.”
― Roman Mars, The 99% Invisible City: A Field Guide to the Hidden World of Everyday Design – A New York Times Bestseller About the Architecture and Surprising Stories of Cities

“So-called street canyons in dense cities can create microclimates. Arrayed along rectilinear city grids, sets of skyscrapers can effectively increase wind speeds. Depending on their geometries, clusters can also raise temperatures by capturing solar energy or trapping warm air, thereby exacerbating existing urban heat island effects. In some cases, street canyons channel aerial pollutants up and out of the way—arguably a net benefit to the citizens below—but in other places, tall towers can collectively trap and recirculate smog in undesirable holding patterns.”
― Roman Mars, The 99% Invisible City: A Field Guide to the Hidden World of Everyday Design – A New York Times Bestseller About the Architecture and Surprising Stories of Cities

“A round of applause for circles.”
― Roman Mars, The 99% Invisible City: A Field Guide to the Hidden World of Everyday Design

“Introduction”
― Roman Mars, The 99% Invisible City: A Field Guide to the Hidden World of Everyday Design – A New York Times Bestseller About the Architecture and Surprising Stories of Cities

“around the intersection of North Oakland, Berkeley, and Emeryville, real estate brokers have pitched properties as being located in NoBe.”
― Roman Mars, The 99% Invisible City: A Field Guide to the Hidden World of Everyday Design – A New York Times Bestseller About the Architecture and Surprising Stories of Cities