





Okay this group has received a bit of a stay of execution, and seing as it is almost HEXAGONAL AWARENESS MONTH again, I thought we would take a stab at another dinner-and-discussion style meetup. Building on last May's "Hexagons in Architecture" event, I think it would be an appropriate moment to discuss, or at least briefly bring our attention to, the rich history of hexagonalism in urban and suburban planning during the early 20th century, and what it can tell us about the various and sundry design and environmental issues facing us at present. To that end, I recently read (or re-read maybe) this circa 2000 paper by Ben-Joseph and Gordon on the topic, and would urge others to read it in advance of the meetup: http://web.mit.edu/ebj/www/Hexagonal.pdf The paper goes over the tragic history of how hexagonal city design, once very much in vogue and put into practice in places like New Delhi and Canberra, was ultimately eclipsed in the US by a cabal of cul-de-sac enthusiasts under the Hoover administration. People may remember the Cheng paper I linked to last year as well: https://graham.hexnet.org/irene-cheng-shape-of-utopia.pdf — I still haven't read this cover-to-cover, and don't imagine anyone would, but it provides, I think, some useful background on the sort of radical geometrical paradigms that became dominant in late-19th-century utopian thinking. As usual this is more of a jumping-off point than a set agenda. People should bring whatever hexagonal interests, concerns, or questions they have, including artifacts, literature, &c.