Dean Saitta is Professor of Anthropology and Director of the Urban Studies program at the University of Denver. He teaches courses in urban anthropology, archaeology, and evolutionary anthropology. He writes about issues facing the contemporary city from an archaeological, historical, and cross-cultural perspective. He is a co-author of "Denver: An Archaeological History", and author of "Intercultural Urbanism: City Planning from the Ancient World to the Modern Day."
Umberto Eco, Planning Education, and Urban Space
The great Italian scholar and novelist's death likely has little meaning for practicing planners, but his literary method might have lasting relevance for planning education and the design of urban space.
Mr. Kimmelman's Metropolis
The New York Times architecture critic is making good on his promise to focus on the social context and redemptive qualities of urban architecture and design. A recent lecture in Denver identified several imperatives for the planning profession.
What Makes a Great Public Space?
The question is often asked and answered by urban planners and placemakers. The perspective offered here boils the essential qualities down to centrality, connectivity, and cachet, with a strong dose of urban "commoning."
Public Art and the Urban Experience
A retrospective of a billboard art exhibition at the 2013 Biennial of the Americas on the occasion of the 2015 Biennial's kick-off implicates an excellent model of citizen engagement and possibly some lessons for civic leaders and urban planners.
Should City Planners Worry About Water Supply?
It’s a big question being tackled by land use planners and water providers in Colorado, where the traditional disconnect between water realities and land use decisions precludes a sustainable balance between water supply and urban growth.