Conditional Thinking Unlocks Opportunity
2019-04-24
By thinking of what something Could Be instead of what something Is, conditional thinking reveals new realms of possibility.Continue Reading
Don’t Repair Infrastructure, Reprogram it for New Use
2019-02-11
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.Continue Reading
Reprogramming the City Book Now Available
2018-12-12
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
Plumbers Made the Terracotta Army Possible – The Power of Repurposing Skills
2018-11-07
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
Adopt a Creative Strategy from Baseball: “Make the adjustment before the pitcher does.”
2018-11-05
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
NatureStructure at Boston Society of Architects
2018-05-10
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
The Future of Phone Booths: Workshop
2017-11-16
Phone booths are an endangered urban species, joining the ranks of newspaper boxes, parking pay meters, and other urban elements whose original function has been replaced by technology and changing social behavior. A common thread runs through all these piecesContinue Reading