What urban design tells us about democracy
4/24/202618 min
The way ancient societies like the Greeks, Maya, and Khmer Empire built their cities can tell us a lot about how a place was governed. Did rulers live in ornate palaces or alongside other residents? Are there large, open spaces for community gatherings?
In a new study, archaeologists document how they use the design of ancient temples, plazas, and cities to understand how a society was governed. So what does ancient architecture reveal about democracy? And do the democratic design principles hold true today?
Host Flora Lichtman chats with anthropologist Jake Holland-Lulewicz about ancient democracies, and with archaeologist Jeff Hou about how the role of public spaces in democracies has changed.
Guests:
Dr. Jacob Holland-Lulewicz is an anthropologist and assistant professor at Penn State.
Dr. Jeff Hou is the head of the architecture department at the National University of Singapore.
Other episodes you may enjoy:
- Secrets Of Ancient Concrete, And… Data Centers In Space?
- One Crisis After Another: Designing Cities For Resiliency
Transcripts for each episode are available within 1-3 days at sciencefriday.com.
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Flora Lichtman· Host0:29
[upbeat music] Hey there, this is Flora Lichtman, and you're listening to Science Friday. Today, we are hitting the streets, the dusty, ancient streets, looking for clues about the origins of democracy. Researchers writing in the journal Science Advances explain how the design of ancient temples, plazas, cities can tell us how a civilization was governed. So what does ancient architecture reveal about democracy, and do the democratic design principles hold true today? Here to chip away at some of these big questions is Dr. Jake Holland Lolewicz, anthropologist and assistant professor at the Pennsylvania State University. Hey, Jake. Welcome to Science Friday.
Jacob Holland-Lulewicz· Guest1:14
Hi, guys. Thanks so much for having me.
Flora Lichtman· Host1:16
What does democratic design or democratic architecture look like?
Jacob Holland-Lulewicz· Guest1:22
Oh, yeah. Um, I don't know if we can, call the architecture democratic, but it certainly reflects kind