Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In

Sprawl: A Compact History:
A Panel discussion with author Robert Bruegmann

In this lively program co-sponsored by the Municipal Art Society's Urban Center Books and the Storefront for Art and Architecture, author Robert Bruegmann will articulate the ways his controversial claims about urban history and current public policy challenge conventional planning wisdom and highlight the often-overlooked benefits of sprawl. An expert panel of urban designers and historians will then debate the social, economic, environmental, and aesthetic implications related to contemporary issues of mobility, privacy and choice outlined in this scholarly “best-seller” that has been a surprise hit of the season.

Moderator:
James Russell, architecture critic.

Confirmed Panelists:
Robert Bruegmann, professor of Art History, Architecture and Urban Planning, University of Illinois at Chicago;
Eugenie Birch, chair and professor, Department of City and Regional Planning, University of Pennsylvania;
Alexander Garvin, adjunct professor of Urban Planning and Management, Yale University.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Ten Years of Placard Abuse: The Criminal Practice that Mamdani Must End

Placard corruption has drowned New York City in illegally parked cars for more than a decade. Mayor Mamdani must end it for good.

January 30, 2026

Data Analysis: Super Speeders and Red Light Violators Are Less Likely to Get NYPD Tickets

Drivers caught most often by speed and red light cameras are at the receiving end of comparatively little NYPD enforcement.

January 30, 2026

Friday’s Headlines: Too Cold To Joke Edition

Let's just get to the headlines, which was again dominated by weather-related stories. Plus other news.

January 30, 2026

Byford Hopes Cash-Strapped NYC Will Help Fund Trump’s Penn Station Rehab

The Trump administration controls the future of Penn Station — but wants New York to pay for it.

January 29, 2026

Delivery Workers Are the Safest Cyclists On the Road, Study Finds

A new study from sociology researchers at Hunter College embraces e-bikes.

January 29, 2026
See all posts