ABSTRACT
In the summer of 2003, a “mob” appeared in New York City. Individually and in small groups, almost 200 people ultimately assembled in the relatively calm sanctum of a houseware emporium. The rug department of Macy’s flagship, Manhattan store was enlivened and activated. The flash mob was born! The rise and relatively new phenomenon of blogs, email blasts, and text messaging had brought people together in a creative act of placemaking. The intentwas humorous and a little bit devilish, but also earnest. In a world where people were increasingly living suburbanized and isolated lives, the flash mob leveraged new tools to bring us together, create spectacle, and most importantly, introduce a new method for envisioning place.1
