Diefendorf, Jeffry “I Love That City, But Which City?”
Harris, Dianne “Little White Houses”
< Hayden Abstract
“Contested Landscapes”
ABSTRACT: The built environment conveys cultural and political history for those who can decode its multiple layers. Many Americans cannot. For scholars, going public—connecting with a general audience about urban history and architecture--can be difficult. Yet without popular understanding across class, race, and gender lines, there will never be broad public support for historic places. Beyond the university, how do we interest a wide public in places as the material expression of culture and politics? First, it is essential to speak directly, without excessive technical or theoretical jargon. Second, low-level, oblique-angle aerial photographs can be used to reveal the scale of historic buildings and landscapes within the contemporary built environment. These images can also be used to encourage viewers to discuss real estate development as part of architectural and urban history.
Session IV: Going Public with the Built Environment