A floating blue dot on a handheld device’s mapping app has become the default way we understand the complex flows of people through the city and the diverse ways we experience coming and going. Such direct representation is convenient, but removes the spontaneity of approaching the city as both a destination and departure point. This fall, Van Alen Institute’s week of programs re-imagines the way we navigate through the city, from tourist visits and daily commutes to forced migrations under intense economic pressures or the prospect of new opportunities.

Mirroring the multifaceted routes of individuals’ paths across cities, the programs scheduled for Dec. 8-14 investigate movement through myriad forms, from a series of short film screenings and a night of audacious comedy, to hacking the NYC subway with a new video game app and live debates on digital fixes for infrastructure. And like the pluralistic crowds that invigorate our quotidian trips, the programs bring together a diverse array of personalities, including WNYC radio host Brian Lehrer, the Balkan/Gypsy band Slavic Soul Party, Matthew George, CEO or Bridj, and architecture and design critic Alexandra Lange. They’ll all be answering pressing questions that architects and urban dwellers alike might ponder while sitting in traffic or waiting for the last train: How can city infrastructure and policy keep pace with the dramatic shifts brought on by rapid growth and decline? Can the titans of tech engineer an escape from government oversight? Can getting lost be a creative act?

The series continues a discussion launched with Elsewhere: Escape and the Urban Landscape, a multi-year initiative of public programs, competitions and research exploring escape in the urban environment. Learn more and register for events here.

Photos: Cameron Blaylock