Jan. 20, 2025, 12:53 p.m.

framing matters

flaneuring

Welcome to flaneuring, a newsletter featuring new resources on urban & beyond, insights, and photography.


an insight

In Inclusive Transportation, Veronica Davis highlights how framing our goals shapes the solutions we create — how we define a problem determines how we solve it.

If we aim to move 50,000 vehicles, we focus on highways, wider roads, and traffic flow. But if we shift the goal to moving 50,000 people, we open the door to broader solutions — public transit, bike lanes, and walkability.

Framing matters. The future we build starts with the questions we ask.


new resources

  • Antifragile by Nassim Nicholas Taleb explores systems that don’t just withstand or attempt to suppress uncertainty — they thrive on it. Spanning finance, health, and urban design, Taleb shows how volatility can make systems stronger and more adaptable. While not solely about urban design, this is still a great read for anyone interested in the subject.

  • How Buildings Learn by Stewart Brand explores how buildings evolve, shaped by the people who use them. From old farmhouses to modern research labs, he shows how good design embraces change, making architecture a living process rather than a fixed end product.


snapshots

A city where time collapses.

Street view of Havana, featuring classic colonial buildings, a green vintage car driving past, and people walking and cycling along the road.
Old Havana, Cuba
Plaza de San Francisco de Asís in Old Havana, Cuba, featuring historic colonial and neoclassical architecture.
Plaza de San Francisco de Asís
Sculpture La Conversación in Plaza de San Francisco de Asís, Old Havana, depicting two abstract human figures engaged in dialogue.
La Conversación • sculpture by Étienne
A café in Old Havana, Cuba, featuring an ornate wrought iron window opening.
HAV_Coffee&Art
Abstract stone sculpture with organic shapes and human-like figures.
Forma, espacio y luz • sculpture by Rita Longa

You just read issue #8 of flaneuring. You can also browse the full archives of this newsletter.

masha urban & beyond
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