In this post, I unpack the function of memorials in social, political, and spatial negotiations of identity, history, and power.
Dr. Mary Dellenbaugh-Losse is an urban researcher, independent policy adviser, and author with a concentration on integrated post-industrial urban development, specifically: culture and creative industries, real estate market dynamics, intermediate and adaptive reuse of vacant buildings, citizen participation and bottom-up urban development, and urban commons. She has also published widely about symbolism in architecture.
Please see About for a full bio and "Upcoming Events" below for a full list of future appointments.
Blog
Longing for ornament: Symbolism and architecture in post-Wall Berlin
I’ve begun work on an expanded and updated version of my dissertation, which means I’m going back through my work on symbolism, politics, and architecture. In doing so, I stumbled over some notes I made for an article about contemporary German architecture’s timid approach to symbolism and ornament, which I’ve decided to develop here. Have a look!
Blight, or why semantics matter in urban development
Does describing vacant buildings as “blight” doom them to demolition? In my newest post, I examine the consequences of framing and consensus in urban policy through the example of the term “blight.”
URBACT Good Practices online now!
The results of URBACT’s most recent call, for good practices, has now been published. You can search the database of the 97 selected cities here. There are some really exciting projects in there! I’ll be back from my holidays next week with a new full-length post.
Review for “Urban Commons: Moving Beyond State and Market”
Ryan Jepson from the University of Vienna has reviewed our book. Read an excerpt and find a link to the full text here.
Paper now available for download
I’ve uploaded and English-language copy of an article from 2015 about belonging and identity, which I presented in Gdansk at the Smart Metropolia conference. Check out and excerpt here and follow the link at the bottom of the post to download the full article.
Looking back: Bundeskongress für nationale Stadtentwicklungspolitik 2017 in Hamburg
In this post, I review the highlights of the Bundeskongress für nationale Stadtentwicklungspolitik 2017, which took place on June 12th & 13th in Hamburg.
New video statement about urban commons
Back in January, I took part in the Urban Change Talk about Urban Commons. As part of that event, I also gave a very short video statement in which I talk about what makes urban commons different from other commons types, and what effects multilevel governance and market forces can have on them. Watch the whole video (about 3 minutes long) here.
What is urban policy, anyway?
In this post, I summarize and briefly explain the ins and outs of urban policy, using examples from Boulder’s growth boundary to prestige pricing.
Urban Commons – New article published!
Martin Schwegmann and I have tackled urban commons again in our newest article together as part of an event we both took part in in January for the program Actors of Urban Change. Check out the links in this post to download the article and the full publication.
Can administrative restructuring increase regional growth?
What do Bremen and Bologna have in common? They both used administrative restructuring to address their citizens’ needs and desires and boost civil society’s involvement in urban development – with great results! In this post, I explore administrative restructuring’s potentials for growth in peripheral and rural areas.
Looking back: The European Cultural Foundation’s Citizens’ Dialogue ‘Peace through Culture’
Today’s post summarizes the main take-home messages from the European Cultural Foundation’s Citizens’ Dialogue ‘Peace through Culture’ on May 10th, 2017.
Upcoming Event: Mapping, Big Data, Citizen’s Tech…
So the Berlin Urban Commons Series continues tomorrow with our newest event, entitled “Mapping, Big Data, Citizen’s Tech,” hosted by Dr. Martin Schwegmann. More details here.
New forthcoming book: “Urban Development through Culture”
My first full-length work since my dissertation will be coming out in German this summer. I was asked to write a book for laypersons about urban development through culture by the state central office for political education in Thuringia. We’re just in the final throes of editing now. Expected release date sometime late summer!
Do benches determine where we sit and with whom?
According to my newest article – yes! And the people who get to decide where to put those benches influence our daily life in cities’ public spaces. Check out and excerpt here and follow the link at the bottom of the post to download the full article.
Hacking Urban Furniture Conference, 7 & 8 April in Berlin
Looking forward to taking part in the Hacking Urban Furniture conference on April 7th & 8th at the Center for Art & Urbanism. If you’re in Berlin, come by! I wrote an article about the normative power of street furniture for the project which I’ll link to as soon as it’s online.
URBACT application approved!
I’m thrilled to announce that, after a long and detailed application process, I’ve been validated as a lead expert for the EU program URBACT, which deals with integrated urban development in Europe! I’ve been validated for the design and delivery of transnational exchange and learning activities, as well as thematic expertise in integrated urban renewal (i.e. Commons, Heritage, Branding) and arts and culture (i.e. Creative Industries). For more information, please check out my expert profile at http://urbact.eu/dellenbaugh.
Bundeskongress für nationale Stadtentwicklungspolitik this week in Hannover!
Back in Germany after summer break in the US. Came home to find my sign in card for the 10th German Congress on National Urban Development Policy waiting for me in the mailbox. Despite my jet lag, I’m really excited to go to Hannover next week and take part in dialogues about urban development!
Labor market conference documentation now available
The documentation of the two conferences that I moderated workshops at in June 2015 (“Successful Approaches for Combatting Unemployment in Europe – BerlinWorks as a Starting Point”) and December 2015 (“Work 4.0 – made in Berlin”) are now available for download in German & English on the Senate Department for Labour, Integration & Women’s Issues website.
New course in the coming winter semester
I’m pleased to announce that I will be offering not only “Berlin’s Urban Development from Cölln to Capital: People, Politics, Places” at the Freie Universität again this coming winter semester, but I will also be offering a new course “Housing Choice & Urban Development,” which deals with the social, architectural and political push- and pull-factors behind housing choice and the effects on urban development, at the Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft.
Appearance in the Make_City Festival Mini-Documentary
In June of 2015, I spoke at the Make_City Festival here in Berlin in the course of the publicity surrounding our newly released book. You can see my quote here around minute 2:00.
