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03.04.26

New City Critics: Object Lessons with Anna Kodé & Oliver Wainwright

Event New City Critics
March 4th, 2026
6:00pm - 8:00pm
The New York City College of Technology, Amphitheatre (LG30)
300 Jay Street, Brooklyn, NY, USA

Anna Kodé is an award-winning features reporter with The New York Times, where she covers the intersection of culture and real estate. Her reporting has taken her from the fences of Queens to Mattel's Barbie dreamhouse archives. She is also an adjunct professor at New York University and the author of "Unseen Places," a forthcoming book about observation.

Oliver Wainwright is the architecture and design critic of the Guardian. He trained as an architect and worked for the Mayor of London, OMA, and Muf. His writing has covered everything from affordable housing and the planning system, to the tech hub of Siberia’s “Silicon Forest” and the fake Islamic town built by the US Army in the Mojave desert. His first book, Inside North Korea, was published by Taschen in 2018.

Join Urban Design Forum and Urban Omnibus/The Architectural League for a conversation on how critics view the city through its objects with Anna Kodé & Oliver Wainwright. 

Last month, New City Critics looked at New York City through the lens of discreet cultural objects — subway turnstiles, bathhouses, a takeaway chain — examining urban patterns and minutiae to trace larger systems of inequity, capital and resilience.

In their writings, Oliver Wainwright of the Guardian and Anna Kodé of the New York Times tackle objects big and small, from metal fences to university campuses. Join them in conversation with the New City Critics around the question: How does a critic interpret urban objects to make a cultural argument? 

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Guest & Accessibility Policies 

Urban Design Forum promotes conversations between invited civic leaders, designers, developers, and advocates. This event is open to Forum Fellows and their invited guests.

We strive to host inclusive, accessible events that enable all individuals to engage fully. Please review the following policies:

  • This event will have microphones and speakers.
  • The venue will have an entrance and elevators that are ADA-accessible.
  • If you’re not feeling well, please stay home.
  • Please refrain from wearing strong fragrances to accommodate guests with allergies or environmental sensitivities.
  • For additional access requests or questions, please contact rsvp@urbandesignforum.org.
About New City Critics

New City Critics is a fellowship program that empowers new, fearless, and diverse voices to challenge the ways we understand, design, and develop our cities. The fellowship supports the development of five critics from underrepresented backgrounds through guest lectures and workshops, research guidance, mentorship opportunities, networking, and production of new critical projects in Urban Omnibus and other leading publications. Through public programs and other channels, the fellowship encourages a more expansive conversation on the future of cities.

Support Our Work

The 2025–2026 New City Critics program is made possible through the lead support of the Mellon Foundation, with additional support from Critical Minded, the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts, Nat Oppenheimer, Karen Stein, and Calvin Tsao.

We are also grateful to the founding donors of the program: Stella Betts, Joan Copjec, Vincent Chang, Critical Minded, Rosalie Genevro, Mario Gooden, Paul Goldberger, Graham Foundation, Tami Hausman, Mary Margaret Jones, Astrid Lipka & Lyn Rice, Thom Mayne, Zach Mortice & Maria Speiser, Eric Owen Moss, Nat Oppenheimer, Charles H. Revson Foundation, Moshe Safdie, Karen Stein, Calvin Tsao, Mark Willis & Carol Willis, and Siqi Zhu.

Urban Design Forum programs are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

To learn more about supporting New City Critics, please contact Daniel McPhee, daniel@urbandesignforum.org.

Image Credit: Jonathan Dorado, courtesy of Museum of Modern Art; Michael Oliver; Courtesy of the NCC Fellows

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