Skip to content

Talking Headways Podcast: How Media Has Shaped the City

Author Shannon Mattern joins the podcast this week to discuss her new book, Code+Clay, Data+Dirt: 5,000 Years of Urban Media. We talk about why the perfect future interface humans are looking for does not exist, and how digital mapping can overlook important aspects of the urban spatial landscape.

Author Shannon Mattern joins the podcast this week to discuss her new book, Code+Clay, Data+Dirt: 5,000 Years of Urban Media. Shannon is a professor of media studies at the New School in New York City, and she tells us why she wanted to teach about the intersection of her discipline with architecture and cities.

We talk about why the perfect future interface humans are looking for does not exist, and how digital mapping can overlook important aspects of the urban spatial landscape.

Photo of Jeff Wood
Jeff Wood is the creator of the Talking Headways podcast and editor of the newsletter The Overhead Wire.

Read More:

Streetsblog has migrated to a new comment system. New commenters can register directly in the comments section of any article. Returning commenters: your previous comments and display name have been preserved, but you'll need to reclaim your account by clicking "Forgot your password?" on the sign-in form, entering your email, and following the verification link to set a new password — this is required because passwords could not be carried over during the migration. For questions, contact tips@streetsblog.org.

More from Streetsblog USA

Sustainable Transportation Can Ease the Affordability Crisis — And Help Climate Champions Win

May 19, 2026

Tuesday’s Headlines Are a Gas, Gas, Gas

May 19, 2026

Tech Industry Group: NYC’s Delivery Minimum Wage Worked — But That’s Bad!

May 18, 2026

Street Safety and Police Reform Are Two Sides of the Same Coin

May 18, 2026

35 Ways America Is Reducing Reliance on Single-Occupancy Cars

May 18, 2026
See all posts