Two people talk inside an old, dilapidated room with graffiti on the walls and broken windows.
Two people talk inside an old, dilapidated room with graffiti on the walls and broken windows.

Moving between culture, capital and place. Building where they overlap.

Two people walking through an arched tunnel on a city street in black and white.
Two people walking through an arched tunnel on a city street in black and white.
A black and white historical photo of two young boys walking past a decorative brick archway on a city street, with buildings in the background.
A black and white historical photo of two young boys walking past a decorative brick archway on a city street, with buildings in the background.
A bearded man wearing glasses, a white shirt, and a blue blazer standing on a city sidewalk with parked cars and buildings in the background. He has a camera hanging around his neck.

Tayyib Smith is a Philadelphia based writer, cultural strategist, civic entrepreneur and real estate developer working at the intersection of culture, capital and place. Through essays, cultural production and community centered development, he examines how cities determine who belongs, whose histories are preserved and who gets to own what comes next. His work is grounded in the belief that culture is infrastructure and that recognition must ultimately lead to ownership, enduring institutions and community power.