In a world of increasing polarization and boundary-drawing manifest at multiple scales, what has happened to the notion of “the public”? Is there evidence that collective understanding of who belongs in our neighborhoods, cities, regions, and nations is changing? And to what extent have the urban planning and design professions enabled or constrained these transformations? The 49th issue of Harvard Design Magazine, guest-edited by Anita Berrizbeitia and Diane Davis, addresses “the status of the public” in political and social discourse, in design thinking and practice, and in the built environment itself. We ask leading public intellectuals, scholars, and practitioners in architecture, urban planning, landscape design, law, and the social sciences and humanities to join us in pondering the fate of the public in a world where challenges to collective responsibility and xenophobic thinking are becoming ever more dominant.

The event will be introduced by Harvard Design Magazine's Editorial Director, Julie Cirelli.