| Author | Roman Mars and Kurt Kohlstedt |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Patrick Vale |
| Cover artist | Raphael Geroni |
| Language | English |
| Subject | Urban design, Architecture |
| Genre | Non-fiction |
| Publisher | Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (US) Hodder & Stoughton (UK) |
Publication date | October 6, 2020 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Pages | 400 |
| ISBN | 978-0358126607 |
The 99% Invisible City: A Field Guide to the Hidden World of Everyday Design is a 2020 non-fiction hardcover book on urban design and architecture co-authored by Roman Mars and Kurt Kohlstedt. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, the book details the origins, engineering, and design of common urban elements, including utility infrastructure, signage, and buildings. [1] Upon release, it became a commercial success, debuting on The New York Times Best Seller list. [2]
While the book shares its title and thematic focus with the design podcast 99% Invisible , it functions as a standalone reference text rather than a narrative adaptation of the show's episodes. [3]
The book is organized as a field guide intended to classify the built environment. [4] It is divided into six thematic chapters: Inconspicuous, Conspicuous, Infrastructure , Architecture , Geography , and Urbanism .
The authors broke things down into 100 entries that define specific design components of cities and explain them through stories. [5] Topics include:
The project was developed as a collaboration between Mars, the host of 99% Invisible , and Kohlstedt, the program's digital director. Mars had previously "resisted" adapting the podcast into a book, stating that he preferred the "perversity" of describing visual design through the non-visual medium of audio and did not want to simply "translate" the show's linear scripts into print. [8] This transition to print was described as a "pivot" that enabled the authors to better communicate stories that required visual aid. [9]
The breakthrough for the project occurred when Kohlstedt pitched the concept of a "field guide" rather than a narrative history. Mars cited this as the key factor that convinced him to move forward:
The first idea that I grabbed onto for doing this book was something that Kurt Kohlstedt had mentioned, which was the Field Guide as an idea... By using some of the elements of the Field Guide, you can start to tell your stories based on objects or things that you come across. [8]
The book's framework also drew on Kohlstedt's background as the founder of the design publication WebUrbanist , a site built on clear categorization and visual aids. [10] These taxonomic features informed the digital strategy for 99% Invisible and later provided the framework for the book, which synthesized material from article and audio archives as well as new stories not previously covered. [11] The volume features over 100 illustrations by artist Patrick Vale and graphic design by Raphael Geroni. [12]
The book was published in the United States on October 6, 2020, by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. It was released in the United Kingdom and Australia by Hodder & Stoughton, and in Canada by HarperCollins. [13] Following its success in English, the book was translated into several languages including Spanish, Czech, Chinese, Korean, and Japanese. [10] A Thai edition was published in 2022 by Bookscape. [14]
The book received positive reviews from general interest and architectural publications. Writing for The New York Times Book Review , historian Kenneth T. Jackson described the work as "fresh and imaginative." [1] Kirkus Reviews awarded the book a starred review, characterizing it as an "ideal companion for city buffs." [4]
In The Architect's Newspaper , critic Diana Budds stated that the authors were "democratizing architectural history" by focusing on vernacular and everyday objects. [15] This sentiment was echoed in Spanish architectural media. [16] Critical response also highlighted the authors' ability to find "mystery and wonder" in mundane objects like curb cuts. [11]
The book also garnered significant endorsements from the design and literary communities. Graphic designer Michael Bierut praised the text as "a field guide, a boon, a bible, for the urban curious," stating that it provides "a new way of seeing urban life." [17] In Europe, reviewers compared the authors' detailed focus on the functional beauty of the built environment to a 21st-century Jane Jacobs for their ability to reframe "invisible ordinariness" as vital urban ingenuity. [10] Author John Green further commended the work, adding: "This book made me laugh, and it made me cry, and it reminded me to always read the plaque." [17]