Potential en masse
Michael Kimmelman, longtime chief art critic for The New York Times and now its architecture critic, will deliver a talk titled “The Politics of Public Space” at 4 p.m. Thursday at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study’s Knafel Center (register here). Kimmelman has written widely on issues of public housing, public space, infrastructure, community development, and social responsibility. He spoke with the Gazette about the importance of public space, his role as a critic, and the art and beauty of architecture. GAZETTE: Why do you think a public space, which can help bring together thousands of people, can be more influential than the Internet, which can create an online community of millions? KIMMELMAN: I think one big lesson of a place like Zuccotti Park in New York City [the base of the Occupy Wall Street protests] is that, while millions of people sign online petitions without anybody really noticing, a few hundred...