diana budds

I've received many messages about this over the last two weeks — people still read, reference, and link to these stories WRITTEN BY REAL REPORTERS who knew their cities better than anyone else. I figured a fix might have been delayed due to holiday breaks but this needs to be remedied immediately!

The archives for the old Curbed city sites have been offline for at least two weeks. If these sites are gone for good, it’s not just a loss for those who contributed to Curbed over the years, but a loss of ~15 years of reporting on new development, neighborhoods, and architecture criticism.

The architect Frank Gehry who just died giving the middle finger at a press conference

RIP to a legend

Considering its extreme scarcity, its provenance, and its immaculate condition, the Lincoln Bathroom's now-destroyed #Vitrolite walls—original to the 1949-51 Truman reconstruction—were considerably more valuable than Trump's common marble-by-the-yard.

#HistoricPreservation #20thCenturyPreservation

And assortment of brochures from the workshop for learning things, including brochures, listing workshop costs, course, offerings, etc. – on cream, yellow, + green paper

A postcard for the Workshop for Learning Things, from Philip Morrison to Ray Eames

A list of classes, including cardboard, carpentry, classroom, photography, and simple printing

Yellow course catalog from 1976. I can’t quite tell what the image is depicting!

I have some of those 1970s 📚 on cardboard furniture, but I was unaware of their cnxn to the 💐Workshop for Learning Things 🛠️, a Whole Earth-y resource + learning center for teachers (same as the 60s Ctr for Understanding Media, predecessor to my old dept @ The New School!)

(via Eames papers LoC)

I have a very bad feeling about this...

no architects on this year's MacArthur list (again) but great to see which place/space issues are represented. glad for the focus on counter narratives. www.macfound.org/programs/awa...

Architects just remade Donald Judd's iconic Marfa office for the climate change age The famed artist set up shop in the Texas town. After an extensive restoration, the building is ready for rising temperatures.

The climate-sensitive restoration of Donald Judd's Architecture Office is “an attempt to go back to 19th-century cooling methods—with an eye toward 21st-century apocalypse." Such a treat to write about this very cool project. www.fastcompany.com/91397383/arc...

Blocking the Bus Lane? Cities Are Using AI To Find and Fine You Transit agencies in America’s biggest cities are working with startup Hayden AI to catch drivers blocking the bus by deploying cameras on buses.

excellent use of AI nextcity.org/urbanist-new...

I’ve been asked about the death of (architecture) criticism since I became a critic but thank you and I will add

@cmonstah.bsky.social
@awalkerinla.bsky.social
@mlamster.bsky.social
@kristoncapps.bsky.social
@shannonmattern.bsky.social
@dianabudds.bsky.social
@nyreviewofarch.bsky.social

How the Meatpacking District became NYC’s most walkable neighborhood The Meatpacking District was once an industrial enclave. In recent years it has been transformed by bustling sidewalks, leafy plazas, and ample public seating.

"Meatpacking is just such a great poster for why you should consider not letting cars just do whatever they want in any district," says Claire Weisz, a founding partner of WXY. For @fastcompany.com, I wrote about how NYC got its first pedestrian-priority district. www.fastcompany.com/91378463/mea...

are you an NYC resident and live with your polycule to save on rent? looking to speak with folks in this arrangement for a story! feel free to DM or send an email (info in my bio)

thanks for sharing!

are you a furniture or interior designer who makes physical scale models/prototypes? if so, would love to chat for a story!

A South Bronx Garden Offers a Place for New York’s Immigrant Communities to Keep Traditions Alive Local restaurateurs, a community land trust, and a design nonprofit teamed up to create H.earth, a refuge in a neighborhood long abused by the city.

this mutual-aid kitchen & community garden in the south bronx has hammocks for rest, a wood-fired hearth for meals, and medicinal plants for healing. such as treat to cover the design and people who made it for @dwell.bsky.social www.dwell.com/article/hear...

extremely curious if news orgs are seeing a mamdani bump in traffic - the shift in coverage since the election is shocking!

all i see is this

into this venturi-esque streetery in tribeca

🔥🔥🔥

Thanks to John Oliver for quoting my highly scientific analysis proving we don’t need federal troops in LA

“Lantz wonders if the events that happened over the last few days in L.A. will inspire designers to think about the parks they make in new ways. “As designers, do you need to start thinking of public space as defensible for these types of actions?” he says.”

How these hot pink chairs became a symbol of the L.A. protests The architecture firm Rios designed the street furniture for Gloria Molina Grand Park to have “endless configurations.” They never could have imagined it would be used as a shield.

"I’ve looked at [the photos] multiple times today — I’ve been proud, I’ve been upset, I’ve been startled. Seeing our work repurposed in a moment of collective action was humbling and powerful," RIOS co-CEO Andy Lantz told @dianabudds.bsky.social

This is a really nice piece. Shoutout to @dianabudds.bsky.social for finding a cool angle to cover this

curtain walls — as in literal curtains — seem to be everywhere in interiors right now. for @wallpapermag.bsky.social, i unpacked the trend. www.wallpaper.com/design-inter...

an unexpected perk of ordering an espresso to stay at blue bottle: a v. cute marimekko demitasse

Below, from American Prospect is a paragraph explaining that Trump’s wealth was largely created by FHA subsidies to his father’s business, building middle class housing.

I mention this because Trump is poised to eliminate housing vouchers subsidize rent, helping both landlords and tenants.

very big for design criticism! congratulations, @langealexandra.bsky.social!! www.pulitzer.org/winners/22649

Brooklyn bus stop ads being replaced with guerilla public service announcements.

love this view in the new open-air restroom pavilion at storm king, by heneghan peng and wxy

Under Trump, Stocks Have the Worst Start to a Presidential Term Since 1974 During the first 100 days of the Trump administration, shock waves from the chaotic tariff rollout continue to send tremors through the global financial system.

this illustration is too good! www.nytimes.com/2025/04/30/b...