Congrats on launch Jasmine, I love the idea of pulling on the thread of edge cases/discovering pockets where the future has arrived quicker than the mean. Excited to follow along!
I’m an architect and urban planner and I did a Fulbright in Singapore (2022). It deserves critical attention. If you pursue this subject for an article etc. feel free to send me a note, there are some potentially helpful resources I could send your way.
I would love that! I'm hoping to visit maybe in the fall. Also just subscribed to your Substack, been hoping to learn more about urban design / architecture, and Shenzhen is actually top of my list for the East Asia trip
Shenzhen is wildly interesting, and also enormous. Don’t miss nearby Hong Kong either, if you haven’t been.
Re Singapore I will sort through my bibliography when I get a sec, that might be more useful for you than my own writing which tended to focus more on architecture and UD than some of the more macro issues you’re interested in (though they are related in very interesting ways I tried to capture when possible).
Fall is a ways away but don’t miss this if you go: Singapore City Gallery
Not necessarily neo-city related, but in thinking about what makes Bay Area special, and how (if it's remotely possible) to turn one of the places I grew up in into the "next" Bay Area, I thought this presentation / post by Paul Graham was a nice starting point framework:
I've mostly netted out on it being nearly impossible to turn, say, a Charleston or Charlotte into a Bay Area. The vibes, risk profile, priorities (family/kids & local impact > startups & global impact), courage to be different, etc — it's just all too different. Maybe the tide shifts, but I personally wouldn't bet on it.
Looking back, it's so clear how much we're a product of our environments. Had I stayed in NC and not moved to LA / SF, I don't think I would have had the same professional aspirations, and I certainly wouldn't have had the same worldview as I do now.
There's some risk to this statement, but I believe it: if you can find a way to move out of where you grew up & experience some radically different stuff, it'll really help you find out who you are and probably turn you into a more well-rounded person.
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So stoked for you & looking forward to all your writing this year and beyond! :)
I love the PG cities post, excited to read the Pittsburgh one! and agree re: product of environments. even going from Seattle area tech (very much big tech lifer vibes) to Silicon Valley was impactful. and part of why I'm motivated to live abroad later this year!
hereby appointing myself president of the jasmine sun stan network
wow "appointing" does not sound very Democratic of you...!!
All the best blogs should be hard to explain. Feels like you’ve got the beginnings of something great here, looking forward to following along.
coming up with an "elevator pitch" has been the absolute worst
really looking forward to reading all your stuff!
So excited to read!! And, obviously—huge congrats!
good luck! :)
May your writing journey keep unfolding 🌲
I was obsessed with season of the witch; it made living in SF much more fun (weird stuff happened everywhere you walk by!)
This is a good complement and physically beautiful book —
https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520262508/infinite-city&sa=U&sqi=2&ved=2ahUKEwjNyZGhg9qKAxU1CnkGHRLPOJoQFnoECCwQAQ&usg=AOvVaw2BW0mAcbECgO5f-dz4S33K
ooh I will keep an eye out for it on my next bookstore trip!!
you might like https://mindslice.substack.com/p/labor-economics-i
i saved this to read a couple days ago! lol
Just found your Substack, can’t wait to read more 💞
So here for this!!! Yay!
Congrats on launch Jasmine, I love the idea of pulling on the thread of edge cases/discovering pockets where the future has arrived quicker than the mean. Excited to follow along!
I’m an architect and urban planner and I did a Fulbright in Singapore (2022). It deserves critical attention. If you pursue this subject for an article etc. feel free to send me a note, there are some potentially helpful resources I could send your way.
I would love that! I'm hoping to visit maybe in the fall. Also just subscribed to your Substack, been hoping to learn more about urban design / architecture, and Shenzhen is actually top of my list for the East Asia trip
Shenzhen is wildly interesting, and also enormous. Don’t miss nearby Hong Kong either, if you haven’t been.
Re Singapore I will sort through my bibliography when I get a sec, that might be more useful for you than my own writing which tended to focus more on architecture and UD than some of the more macro issues you’re interested in (though they are related in very interesting ways I tried to capture when possible).
Fall is a ways away but don’t miss this if you go: Singapore City Gallery
https://g.co/kgs/KoX2NbX
bibliography would be amazing! I have been to HK but always tempting to return
Very sold on this vision. Instant sub.
I’m so excited and hope you read every post!
I just ordered a fancy podcast mic 😵💫
Writer as "vibe historian"--i'm obsessed. Can't wait to read more from you this year, especially on all the topics you mentioned!!!
Not necessarily neo-city related, but in thinking about what makes Bay Area special, and how (if it's remotely possible) to turn one of the places I grew up in into the "next" Bay Area, I thought this presentation / post by Paul Graham was a nice starting point framework:
https://paulgraham.com/pgh.html
And an older goodie:
https://www.paulgraham.com/cities.html
I've mostly netted out on it being nearly impossible to turn, say, a Charleston or Charlotte into a Bay Area. The vibes, risk profile, priorities (family/kids & local impact > startups & global impact), courage to be different, etc — it's just all too different. Maybe the tide shifts, but I personally wouldn't bet on it.
Looking back, it's so clear how much we're a product of our environments. Had I stayed in NC and not moved to LA / SF, I don't think I would have had the same professional aspirations, and I certainly wouldn't have had the same worldview as I do now.
There's some risk to this statement, but I believe it: if you can find a way to move out of where you grew up & experience some radically different stuff, it'll really help you find out who you are and probably turn you into a more well-rounded person.
---
So stoked for you & looking forward to all your writing this year and beyond! :)
I love the PG cities post, excited to read the Pittsburgh one! and agree re: product of environments. even going from Seattle area tech (very much big tech lifer vibes) to Silicon Valley was impactful. and part of why I'm motivated to live abroad later this year!
thanks for the note Reid :)