Stefan Al

Stefan Al is a New York-licensed architect, tenured professor of urban planning, and the author and editor of ten books, most recently Dwelling on Earth — winner of the Gold Medal at the Independent Publisher Book Awards — as well as Supertall and The Strip. His work has been reviewed in the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, and he has appeared on CNN, NPR, and the Science Channel. A former TED Resident, he has designed buildings and masterplans worldwide, including the 2,000-foot Canton Tower—briefly the world's tallest.

Inspiration for Dwelling on Earth

I've lived in homes ranging from a Dutch row house, an experimental student residence in Delft with communal kitchens, an apartment in a Barcelona walk-up building, a studio in a Hong Kong pencil tower, and suburban homes from California to New Jersey. Living in these spaces impacted my daily habits, relationships, and worldview. That personal journey sparked larger questions about how homes influence our social bonds and environmental footprint—and what the full arc of human habitation, from rock shelters to skyscrapers, can teach us about building the homes of tomorrow.