Featured in Philadelphia Magazine: “What If Urbanists Ran the City?”

In the Philadelphia Magazine article titled “What If Urbanists Ran the City?” I was featured as part of a discussion on innovative approaches to urban design and public engagement. The article highlighted two of my ideas: rethinking public art and gamifying zoning reform.

I proposed that instead of spending large sums on one-off art installations that may become outdated — like the Rizzo and Columbus statues — we could create an “Urban StoryCorps.” This initiative would involve installing and programming interactive media in neighborhoods, similar to Eastern State Penitentiary’s “Hidden Lives Illuminated” or Michelle Angela Ortiz’s recent projection in the Italian Market. The goal would be to ensure that monuments evolve with demographic diversity and that neighborhoods have a say in how they’re represented.

I also addressed the often inaccessible nature of Planning Commission and Zoning Board of Adjustment meetings, describing them as “forensic focus groups, tokenist therapy sessions, or sideshows for the charismatic naysayers… cloistered and jargon-filled and inhospitable to casual observers and everyday people.” To make these processes more engaging and democratic, I suggested turning to gamification. By transforming these meetings into online workshops that are free and productive, we can engage the everyday people who live with the outcomes of these decisions. I noted that urban planning games like SIM-PHL, currently being developed by Drexel University with support from the Knight Foundation, have the potential to democratize and energize public participation in urban planning.

READ: https://www.phillymag.com/news/philadelphia-urbanists/

Dr. Matt Makes History as the First Black Gay Spouse to Speak at the DNC (2020)

An incredible blogger ran a story about our moment. https://www.livingoutloud20.com/post/watch-pa-rep-malcolm-kenyatta-appears-on-dnc-with-fianc%C3%A9-dr-matthew-miller

Representative Malcolm Kenyatta (181st District-North Philadelphia) was one of 17 rising political stars and the only openly gay Black man to participate in the keynote address delivered during the second night of the Democratic National Convention. But viewers received a bonus during Kenyatta's pre-recorded remarks when his fiancé, Dr. Matthew Miller joined him onscreen for a brief but captivating moment that undoubtedly reverberated across America.

The Philadelphia power couple spoke on the significance of Joe Biden's support of their relationship.

Kenyatta: "When I wanted to marry the man I loved, Joe Biden was the first national figure to support me and my family. "

Miller: "Appreciate you man."

That "appreciate you man" has us completely verklempt. And we're not alone. The couple's clip became a topic of discussion on CNN's New Day during an interview with openly gay former presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg.

We got to see ourselves not only during the DNC 2020 but the Philadelphia Inquirer featured us on the front page as we watched ourselves the next day.

While it was only three words, it was enough for President Biden to shout me and Malcolm out during the Pride Month celebration at the White House in July 2021. Our moment apparently “stole the show” and it is now reflected in the official White House transcript. https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2021/06/25/remarks-by-president-biden-commemorating-lgbtq-pride-month/

Quoted in Bloomberg CityLab’s “The Accidental Occupation of Seattle” Article

In a Bloomberg CityLab article for their Justice column, I was quoted discussing the historical context and implications of the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest (CHOP) zone in Seattle. The journalist connected the protest zone to historical precedents, and I offered a comparison to Resurrection City, the 1968 encampment on the National Mall that was part of Martin Luther King Jr.’s Poor People’s Campaign. I noted that, “Like the Resurrection City tradition, CHOP City radically gestured toward a more communal way of life in direct protest to the surrendered police state upon which it is being constructed.”

I highlighted the innovative approach of the CHOP/CHAZ organizers, who employed a “more tactical, temporary, & transgressive ‘placetaking’ method” compared to historical movements. However, from my research perspective, which focuses on Black urbanism, I observed that the Capitol Hill protest, despite beginning as a protest for Black lives, falls short of the criteria for Black urbanism. I pointed out that “Black urbanism requires three elements — civics, stories, and space — to produce Black belongingness,” and I expressed concern about “whose spatial imaginary is being listened to” in the context of the Capitol Hill protests.

Read here: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-06-18/what-s-next-for-seattle-s-police-free-protest-zone