New and Old #262
Erstwhile downtowns, a neat policy experiment, against optimization, and a retro-gaming hobbyist labor of love
When America’s downtowns ruled the world, Pencilling Out, Zak Yudhishthu, March 27, 2026
This is bouncing off a book that I need to read, by the way.
The concept of “downtown” that you’re familiar with — large-scale stores, high-rise offices, very little residential housing — is a unique product of early 20th-century America, a very particular time and place in urban d…