1285: What urban design tells us about democracy

The way ancient societies like the Greeks, Maya, and Khmer Empire built their cities can tell us a lot about how a place was governed. Did rulers live in ornate palaces or alongside other residents? Are there large, open spaces for community gatherings? In a new study, archaeologists document how they use the design of ancient temples, plazas, and cities to understand how a society was governed. So what does ancient architecture reveal about democracy? And do the democratic design principles hold true today? Host Flora Lichtman chats with anthropologist Jake Holland-Lulewicz about ancient democracies, and with archaeologist Jeff Hou about how the role of public spaces in democracies has changed.Guests: Dr. Jacob Holland-Lulewicz is an anthropologist and assistant professor at Penn State.Dr. Jeff Hou is the head of the architecture department at the National University of Singapore.Other episodes you may enjoy: Secrets Of Ancient Concrete, And… Data Centers In Space? One Crisis After Another: Designing Cities For Resiliency Transcripts for each episode are available within 1-3 days at sciencefriday.com.Subscribe to this podcast. Plus, to stay updated on all things science, sign up for Science Friday's newsletters.