Making Public Space. When it opened its doors to the community, Public School 503/506 in Sunset Park, Brooklyn became the largest public open space within more than 10 blocks. What started in 1999 as an afterschool program for youth has subsequently become a vibrant “Neighborhood Center,” engaging the local community and expanding far beyond the original vision.

Picking up on this success, Mayor Bloomberg has proposed opening 290 city schoolyards to the public during non-school hours as part of his PlaNYC 2030. But “simply unlocking the gates,” could spell disaster without learning from Sunset Park. The Center for New York City Affairs tells a brief history of the program and makes its own recommendations.  ¶

Viewing American class divisions through Facebook and MySpace. Impressionistic notes on design, positioning, and online communities. Discussion follows here. It complements this classic Ze Frank rant on ugly, technology, and hegemony.  ¶

Frida Kahlo at 100. Popularized, decontextualized, depoliticized.  ¶

Google Timeline. Visualize search results on an automated timeline. A clever view, but more a people’s history than A People’s History.

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Is Iran Next? Think Again!. In an effort to grab the attention of politicians, think tanks, and lobbyists through the masses of identical form letters, petitions, and faxes, this project encourages inventive hand made or “modified” postcards to spread the word. (The site includes a handy contact list of politicians, think tanks, and lobbyists.)

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The Institute for Propaganda Analysis. Founded in 1937, the IPA was created to educate the American public about the widespread nature of political propaganda. It is best-known for identifying seven basic propaganda devices: Name-calling, Glittering generalities, Transfer, Testimonial, Plain folks, Card stacking, and Bandwagon.

The Institute suspended operations in 1942, the official reason being that “the approach utilized by the Institute might serve to disturb the unity needed for the war effort.” [source]  ¶