March 10, 2009
Life Without Media
Posts might be a little slow here on Life Without Buildings but there’s good reason – there’s a helluva lot going on! There seems to be an approaching sea change in news media. Newspapers closing or laying-off staff, new news websites are starting-up, and a general sense of panic is spreading among the nebbish wordsmiths dedicated to finishing the daily crossword in their local paper. It’s a strange and exciting time to be in publishing of any sort and I feel lucky to be a small part of this media evolution. So for your browsing pleasure, a few new publications:
- Dwell recently relaunched their website and it looks great. The clean interface and large pictures make it easy to find the content you want or just browse through their gorgeous collection of residential architecture. It’s exactly what it should be. I’ve recently started contributing to their new blog as well. Check it out!
- This week also saw the launch of The SF Appeal, San Francisco’s newest online newspaper. Hoping to bring together the best of newspaper and blogs, The Appeal’s timely launch coincides with a lot of talk about the potential death of The City’s main newspaper, The San Francisco Chronicle. I’ll be doing some architecture / urbanism / cultural miscellanea writing for the Appeal, so if you’re in the Bay Area or if you just love San Francisco, please check the site daily for new content! We’ve got some great writers with strong voices.
- In the spirit of the Death of Newspapers, comes another site: The San Francisco Post Chronicle. “The Post-Chronicle is a wiki that’s building a model for the daily news organization of the future.” It’s also my new favorite web distraction. New media is quickly catching up to architecture on my subconscious list of things to think about. And the Post Chron is where I’m documenting those thoughts. If you have even a remote interest in the future of news media, please check it out! Just a quick browse through the site yields insight into crowd-sourcing photography, the evolution of editorial cartoons, and speculation on the future of content distribution.
- Everyone’s favorite manifesto rag, Pamphlet Architecture is now seeking submissions for issue 30, Investigations in Infrastructure. “At a time of new government leadership committed to investing in the United States’ infrastructure, architects, engineers, and artists should propose new directions for transportation, energy, and agriculture at a continental scale. In this spirit, no visionary dimension is too large, no inventive proposal too ambitious to consider.” The deadline is 1 July.
- The Utopian is a web magazine dedicated to politics, art, and culture. Through articles, photography, and video, The Utopian presents original and challenging ideas things Their Third issue, “Making History,” includes pieces on Hermann Kahn & Cold War nuclear systems analysis, jazz, and the place of religion in the public sphere.
- Art in America also relaunched their website this month with another fantastic new design featuring video profiles and exclusive online content.
