Why Did UChicago Destroy the Humanities? Why Did UChicago Destroy the Humanities?
The answer is simple: to spend untold sums on useless buildings by starchitects.
Oct 15, 2025 / Column / Kate Wagner
Parts of LA Are Not Going to Be Habitable Parts of LA Are Not Going to Be Habitable
Insurers have figured out that risk is too high in parts of California. We need to re-conceive how people are housed, and fast.
Mar 12, 2025 / Column / Kate Wagner
The Real Problem With Trump’s Cheesy Neoclassical Building Fetish The Real Problem With Trump’s Cheesy Neoclassical Building Fetish
Sure, it’s a dog whistle for “retvrn” types and the results are tacky—but that’s not the worst part.
Feb 12, 2025 / Column / Kate Wagner
Trump Will Not Make Architecture Great Again Trump Will Not Make Architecture Great Again
Last term, his ill-informed embrace of “traditional” aesthetics fanned the flames of the culture wars. This time, he’s poised to do even more damage.
Jan 7, 2025 / Kate Wagner
Everyone Needs to Disavow Neom Everyone Needs to Disavow Neom
Now that they know about the staggering number of deaths the Saudi megaproject has caused, architects have absolutely no more excuses.
Nov 7, 2024 / Column / Kate Wagner
Want to Build Worker Power? Ask an Architect. Want to Build Worker Power? Ask an Architect.
You don’t have to wield a T-square to benefit from the field’s first collective bargaining agreement in decades.
Sep 30, 2024 / Column / Kate Wagner
The Gifts of Fredric Jameson (1934–2024) The Gifts of Fredric Jameson (1934–2024)
The intellectual titan bestowed on us so many things, chief among them a reminder to Always Be Historicizing.
Sep 26, 2024 / Column / Kate Wagner
Our Buildings Were Built for a Different World Our Buildings Were Built for a Different World
The climate crisis demands that we retrofit them—which won’t happen at scale until architects start seeing themselves as political actors.
Aug 7, 2024 / Column / Kate Wagner
The Awful Plan to Turn Gaza Into the Next Dubai The Awful Plan to Turn Gaza Into the Next Dubai
The Netanyahu administration seems to have learned from neighboring petrostates that spectacle can distract from ethnic cleansing.
Jul 9, 2024 / Column / Kate Wagner
Luxury Brands Are Buying Our Cities Luxury Brands Are Buying Our Cities
Conglomerates like LVMH are gobbling up whole neighborhoods to advance their own interests.
May 28, 2024 / Column / Kate Wagner