Michael Sorkin on Developing Urban Autonomy

Architectural critic and urban designer Michael Sorkin speaks on how the idea of urban autonomy permeates his projects, from a fantastical city of Weed, Arizona to his current projects in New York. Throughout the lecture, he touches on what truly makes cities sustainable and how we can turn the contemporary urban ills into equitable cities of the future. Rather than developing a uniform model for international urbanism, Sorkin calls for an appreciation for the people who inhabit informal urban areas, and the fact that much urbanization is due to informality and a drive for basic necessities. Buildings and urbanism do not exist detached from reality and should be based on the needs of the people who interact with them. Thus Sorkin’s work calls for a highly adaptable and resilient urban form that remains incredibly complex and sustainable.

Michael Sorkin was an architectural critic, author, professor, urban planner and fierce advocate for social justice, recognized for his work with his founded research practice, Terreform. Sorkin gained a public presence as the architectural critic for the Village Voice, but was also known for his teaching and research. His design projects ranged from master plans for East Jerusalem, Palestine, to a proposal for MOMA PS1 Rockaway, in New York. Sorkin was further recognized as a Guggenheim Fellow, and served as co-President at the Urban Design Forum.

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