Michael Sorkin Smells the Sulphur of Megacities

Nov 06, 2006By David Paul*



A Conference on Sustainable Urban Design (PDF) was held at U.N. headquarters in New York last month, far from the regular lanes of diplomatic traffic.



There, at the end of a hall on the southwest end of the U.N. campus in the Dag Hammarskjold Library,
expected tradesmen and an assortment of delegates along to camouflage
the mix, did what they do: alternatively bore and Hummer-bash.



But the highlight of the afternoon session of the program would stand
as a refreshingly undiplomatic and enthusiastic address delivered by Michael Sorkin,
including references to the “bandage” of humanitarian aid and the evils
of America’s vehicle-dependent society that is looked upon by emerging
nations as an ideal.