The latest open issue of The Plan Journal try to answer an unsettling question: Are we witnessing the early manifestations of what Jane Jacobs warned us about in "Dark Age Ahead"? This collection of twelve provocative contributions examines how designers, architects, and planners might respond to accelerating social, environmental, and technological disruptions that threaten to fragment our communities and erode democratic engagement.

Opening with Tom Fisher's powerful 2025 AIA/ACSA Topaz Medallion acceptance speech, "The Monstrous Hybrids in Our Midst," the issue establishes its central thesis: the disruptions we face are not anomalies but accelerating trends that demand immediate, thoughtful response. From Richard L. Hindle's exploration of coastal resilience through patent innovation, to Pablo Moyano Fernandez's innovative work with earth-formed concrete panels, the issue covers scales from the infrastructural to materiality.

The collection's strength lies in its refusal to retreat into either dystopian pessimism or naive optimism. Instead, as Editor-in-Chief Maurizio Sabini observes, it charts a path forward through thoughtful material innovation, ethical practice, and cross-disciplinary collaboration. These contributions collectively argue that navigating potential dark ages requires the cultivation of wisdom, community engagement, and the courage to experiment with new forms of spatial and social organization that can absorb disruption while maintaining their essential character.

Access the issue at https://www.theplanjournal.com/.