The Type V City: Codifying Material Inequity in Urban America By Jeana Ripple
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The Type V City: Codifying Material Inequity by Jeana Ripple
Book Talk
Fri, Sept 12, 12PM
Campbell Van Lengen Lobby
Exhibition
Fri, Aug 29 – Sun, Sept 21
Campbell Dean's Gallery
How building codes shaped material, social, and environmental landscapes in American cities.
In Jeana Ripple's new book, The Type V City: Codifying Material Inequity in Urban America (University of Texas Press, August 2025), she explores how cheap, combustible wood-frame buildings—known as Type V construction—came to dominate American cities. Focusing on five cities, including New York, Tampa, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Seattle, Ripple uncovers how building codes, material choices, and regulatory practices have reinforced social and spatial inequities. Combining archival research with data analysis, the book challenges assumptions about urban development and calls for more equitable, data-driven approaches to planning and design.
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About the Author
Jeana Ripple is the chair of the Department of Architecture at the University of Virginia and the founder and principal of Mir Collective Architects.
