Sesame Street: An Unexpected Urbanism Masterclass

Resources

Resources & Recommendations

Books

• "The Death and Life of Great American Cities" by Jane Jacobs - This influential book, published in 1961, compiled Jacobs' observations on urban life and advocated for mixed-use, pedestrian-friendly cities and a community-based approach to urban planning, contrasting with the ideas of planners like Robert Moses.
• "The Design of Childhood" by Alexandra Lange - This book explores how spaces and objects for children are designed and their impact on childhood independence.
• Loretta Long's Memoir (Title not specified) - Loretta Long, who played Susan on Sesame Street, discusses her experience as a Black homeowner on television in her memoir, highlighting the show's idealistic portrayal of urban life.

People Mentioned

• Anna Kodé (Journalist for The New York Times) - She covers the built environment and public space and wrote an article about Sesame Street's influence on urbanism.
• Joan Ganz Cooney (Media Executive, Television Producer) - She won an Emmy for a documentary on the War on Poverty program and later became a key figure in the creation of Sesame Street, viewing television as a tool for social change and education.
• John Stone (Writer, Producer, and Director for Sesame Street) - He was an early creator of Sesame Street and drew inspiration from New York City for the show's setting, aiming to create a familiar environment for inner-city children.
• Jane Jacobs (Writer and Activist) - A prominent advocate for vibrant urban communities, she championed mixed-use, pedestrian-friendly cities and a community-based approach to urban planning, which influenced the design principles seen in Sesame Street.
• Robert Moses (Urban Planner) - Mentioned as an example of urban planners whose ideas contrasted with Jane Jacobs' community-focused approach.
• Ronald Grump (Real Estate Developer, played by Joe Pesci on Sesame Street) - A character on Sesame Street representing an opposing view to community-driven urban planning, attempting to redevelop the street.
• Joe Pesci (Actor) - He played the character Ronald Grump on Sesame Street.
• Ben Shapiro (Right-wing pundit) - He criticized Sesame Street's set as "dingy" and accused the show of "legitimizing urban liberal lifestyles."
• Loretta Long (Actress) - She played Susan, the owner of the 123 Sesame Street brownstone, and discussed the significance of her character's homeownership in her memoir.
• Alexandra Lange (Architecture Critic and Author) - She is a frequent contributor to the podcast, author of "The Design of Childhood," and a Pulitzer Prize winner for her criticism on children and urban spaces, particularly for her series for Bloomberg CityLab.

Organizations & Institutions

• The New York Urban Coalition - This organization launched the "Give a Damn" public service campaign in 1968 to address the city's blighted neighborhoods and encourage people to care about urban issues.
• Sesame Street Workshop - The organization responsible for the creation and production of Sesame Street, founded by Joan Ganz Cooney.
• Bloomberg CityLab - A publication for which Alexandra Lange wrote a Pulitzer Prize-winning series on building more family-friendly cities.

Research & Studies

• "The Potential Uses of Television in Preschool Education" (Joan Ganz Cooney) - A study conducted in 1966 that explored how television could be used to educate young children, leading to the creation of Sesame Street.

Websites & Online Resources

• 99pi.org - The official website for the 99% Invisible podcast, where listeners can find past episodes and a link to their Discord server.