Design for the Crowd: Patriotism and Protest in Union Square

Union Square in New York City has a rich history, from its original design as a residential park to its transformation into a hub for political debate and protest during the Civil War. In the late 19th century, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux redesigned the park to enhance its potential as a space for the orderly expression of public sentiment. However, in the early 20th century, anarchists and Communist activists turned Union Square into a gathering place for radical change. City administrations and business groups sought to quash this dissidence by remaking the square into a new kind of patriotic space. Joanna Merwood-Salisbury's book "Design for the Crowd" explores these debates over the proper organization of urban space and the many ways in which a seemingly stable landmark can change through public engagement and design.

\n Format: Hardback
\n Length: 312 pages
\n Publication date: 01 May 2019
\n Publisher: The University of Chicago Press
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Union Square, located on Broadway between Fourteenth and Seventeenth Streets, holds a prominent position in the geography and history of New York City. Initially conceived in 1830 as a means to enhance the aesthetics and property values of a residential area, this compact space underwent a remarkable transformation by the early days of the Civil War. New Yorkers had repurposed Union Square into a vibrant hub for political discourse and protests. As the square's usage evolved, so did its design. In the late 19th century, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux undertook a redesign of the park, aiming to maximize its potential as a venue for the orderly expression of public sentiment. A few decades later, Union Square became a regular meeting place for anarchists and Communist activists, such as Emma Goldberg, who advocated for radical change. In response, a series of city administrations and business groups sought to suppress this unruly form of dissent by transforming Union Square into a new patriotic space. As Joanna Merwood-Salisbury demonstrates in her book Design for the Crowd, the history of Union Square serves as a testament to ongoing debates over the appropriate organization of urban space and the diverse images of the public that utilize it. In this comprehensive account of an iconic urban square, Merwood-Salisbury provides a review of American political activism, urban design philosophies, and the myriad ways in which a seemingly stable landmark can undergo transformation through public engagement and design. Published with the support of Furthermore: a program of the J. M. Kaplan Fund.

\n Weight: 1156g\n
Dimension: 260 x 181 x 27 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9780226080826\n \n