Revisiting The 99% Invisible City

Key takeaways

The 99% Invisible City book celebrates the underlying design principles of urban environments.
Everyday architectural elements in cities, like fire escapes and anchor plates, have significant histories and functions that often go unnoticed.
The process of writing the book involved carefully evaluating content from the podcast to create a cohesive narrative in written form.
Urban design is not just about aesthetics; it incorporates functionality, safety, and often addresses social issues through design choices.

Summary

Celebrating the Fifth Anniversary of the Book

This episode marks the fifth anniversary of the book 'The 99% Invisible City', co-authored by Roman Mars and Kurt Kohlstedt. Roman reminisces about the book's success, which landed on the New York Times bestseller list shortly after its release. The book serves as a field guide to the hidden design principles of cities worldwide, blending stories from the 99% Invisible podcast with new narratives. In this celebration, they revisit some of the stories explored in the book and reflect on their significance.

Exploring Everyday Design in Oakland

The episode presents a guided audio tour of everyday design elements found in Oakland, California, the home base of 99% Invisible. Roman and Kurt discuss the various architectural and design features that often go unnoticed but play essential roles in the urban environment, such as anchor plates for seismic safety, fire escapes, and hostile architecture intended to deter certain behaviors. Each design component illustrates the intersections between functionality and aesthetics while emphasizing the stories behind everyday objects.

Behind the Scenes of the Book Creation

Kurt and Roman delve into the process of creating 'The 99% Invisible City.' They discuss the challenges and strategies involved in selecting topics and organizing the material. The conversations reveal how 10 years of podcast content shaped the book and highlight the collaboration with their editor to ensure that the written format maintained engaging storytelling. They also touch upon the contrasts between podcast storytelling and written narratives, emphasizing the importance of structure and clarity in the book.

Designing for Functionality and Safety

In their discussions about urban design, Roman and Kurt highlight various design features aimed at improving functionality and safety, such as speed cushions for emergency vehicles and color-coded utility markings that prevent accidents during excavation. These elements illustrate the thoughtful design choices made by cities to enhance public safety while remaining relatively invisible to the average passerby. Their conversations serve as a reminder of the underlying considerations that shape the urban landscape.

Show notes

We’re excited to celebrate the 5th anniversary of The 99% Invisible City, a NYT Bestseller by Roman Mars and Kurt Kohlstedt, with a guided audio tour of beautiful downtown Oakland, California. Join us as we explore different everyday designs, using examples from the built environment around our old offices as jumping-off points.

And if you don't already have one: be sure to get your print or audio copy of the book at 99pi.org/book.

Exploring The 99% Invisible City

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