I am an urban strategist and author who has created, developed, and directed initiatives for over a dozen cities worldwide. I am the author of Reprogramming the City and contributor to Metropolis, The Guardian, Architizer and others.
I have addressed The World Bank, The World Urban Development Congress and the European Cultural Conference on strategies for resourceful design, urbanism and creative engagement in cities, and have consulted and delivered keynote addresses on the topic in over 20 countries.
A new toolkit to repurpose the new year! How to Reprogram the City is a 40-page self-guided collection of insights, examples, and exercises to help people discover the untapped potential in their own city. It is the result of a decadeContinue Reading
By thinking of what something Could Be instead of what something Is, new realms of possibility are revealed. Look at the image above and say to yourself “This could be a rubber band.” For some, this might seem a ridiculousContinue Reading
In conjunction with the arrival of the Reprogramming the City book, Metropolis asked me to write an Op-Ed / Opinion piece for them: “By Simply Repairing Infrastructure, We’re Missing Huge Opportunities to Make Cities More Resilient and Responsive to Citizens’ Needs” which outlines why reprogramming existing assets is such a vital need for cities.
The culmination of years of research, exhibition, and projects, the Reprogramming the City book is now available! “Anyone reading Scott Burnham’s essential book will emerge reassured by the transformative power of agency and creativity in the world’s urban centers that isContinue Reading
There is tremendous power in the cross-pollination of skills and their application. Mastering a skill or craft is a great achievement, but the full potential of a skill is often unrealized when it is not applied outside a specific discipline.Continue Reading
Yesterday I was thinking about a line I read in the book Chipper Jones, BallPlayer: “Make the adjustment before the pitcher does.” It’s powerful advice that applies far beyond baseball. Making an adjustment to respond to what is going toContinue Reading
My latest initiative, NatureStructure, launched in May 2018 in Boston. The exhibition featured dozens of architectural, design and infrastructure projects that represent a new model for the relationship design and the built environment can have with nature. The history ofContinue Reading