The Urban Planning of Burning Man

The annual Burning Man festival is underway in Nevada, and this piece from The New York Times looks at the urban plan that undergirds the event.

1 minute read

August 30, 2011, 5:00 AM PDT

By Nate Berg

The urban form of the event has taken shape over the years mainly at the hands of designer Rod Garrett.

"Mr. Garrett died last week at 74, just short of the 25th anniversary of Burning Man's founding.

But his handiwork will be on display to thousands as the yearly festival begins Monday. Mr. Garrett arranged the grounds, called Black Rock City, in a series of concentric semicircles. At their center is the Man, a giant effigy meant to be immolated on the last night of the weeklong gathering.

Until then the Man is to Black Rock City what the Empire State Building is to Manhattan: a locating device and a reassuring beacon."

FULL STORY: A Vision of How People Should Live, From Desert Revelers to Urbanites

Sunday, August 28, 2011 in The New York Times

Land Use Social / Demographics United States Urban Design Burning Man

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