Mark Francis

Design as Participation · Journal of Design and Science

Don’t forget the footpath – it’s vital public space

Footpaths are a valuable space for everyday social activity, but their role is often overlooked. In increasingly dense urban areas such as Footscray, footpaths are essential public spaces.

600 years of Mexican architecture through the eyes of Candida Höfer

German-based photographer Candida Höfer has a long list of mesmerizing photographs and accolades. Her works primarily focus on capturing moments within empty social spaces and vacant public interio...

With an eye toward the future, PennDesign trains students to design for a changing climate

The program aims to teach how to design structures that account for the instability presented by climate change, addressing issues such as major storms and sea level rise.  

The rise of the 'meanwhile space': how empty properties are finding second lives

Rather than let properties lie empty, Paris is learning to hand them over temporarily to community groups and startups

San Francisco’s public spaces — it’s not always apparent they’re public

Say what you will about architects, the good ones tend to be optimists. For instance, they believe that they can use design to create cozy nooks for everyday people in brash big cities.