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The Aesthetics of Equity: Why Form and Function Should Not Be Opposites
Why Form and Function Should Not Be Opposites
This essay challenges the longstanding opposition between form and function in urban design, arguing that form is not secondary to function but one of the means through which function is produced. It positions design as a civic and ethical act, where spatial decisions shape movement, access, clarity, and dignity within the built environment. Drawing on examples from New York and my project Designing Choice, the text reframes infrastructure and public space as systems where design has the capacity to structure behavior and redistribute access. Ultimately, it proposes that good form is not a luxury, but a condition for more equitable urban life.
FULL ESSAY (PDF)