Philipp Meuser (b.¿1969), architect and publisher. Studied architecture in Berlin and Zurich with focus on history and theory. PhD in engineering. Has built and planned projects in Central Asia and Africa, among other regions. Has conducted research on prefabricated housing, Socialist Modernism, and the architecture of sub-Saharan Africa. Professorships in Kharkiv, Ukraine (Beketov University) and Providence, Rhode Island (Brown University).

Anyone concerned with the history, tradition, and culture of our built environment will sooner or later come across the term 'Public Humanities'. At the interface between academe and the media-oriented culture industry, Public Humanities is established as a field of inquiry in the US and is increasingly becoming so in Europe too.
Whether this field of research remains a product of Western culture will only become apparent in the coming years. However, linking architectural debate with the humanities is an important concern of the papers collected here.
These essays on architectural theory provide academic food for thought while encouraging reflection on the discipline of architecture and stimulating urban design in the twenty-first century. The lectures collected here are from a class on Public Humanities at Brown University.