Sara Stevens
Sara Stevens is an architectural and urban historian. Her research focuses on the relationship between architecture and capital, looking at American real estate developers of the twentieth century and exploring the cultural economy of architectural practice, risk, and expertise.
Her book, “Developing expertise: Architecture and real estate in metropolitan America”, investigates real estate development in twentieth-century American cities, and how developers, investors and architects worked together to build subdivisions and superblocks, cul-de-sacs and towers.
Connecting the split narratives of suburban and urban history, it argues that early twentieth century suburbs shaped downtowns during postwar urban renewal. “Developing expertise” uncovers the visions and ideals mid-century developers had for American cities, shedding light on how different threads of modernist architecture answered capitalism’s call.
March 6
6:30 pm
UBC Robson Square
Free
