City Builders cover art

City Builders

City Builders

Written by: Mark Nickita FAIA Dorian Moore FAIA
Listen for free

About this listen

CityBuilders is a podcast that celebrates the study, analysis, and documentation of cities. We’ve envisioned this channel as a method to connect with many like-minded, urban-oriented people in a more engaging manner.

We bring to each discussion our unique perspective based on our experiences as urbanists, architects, entrepreneurs, educators and civic leaders. Our goal is to share our passion and expertise of the built environment.

We encourage you to also follow us on social media at the links below. Thank you for watching and please spread the word about our love for cities and about our many ventures! Walk the streets!

hosts: Mark Nickita, FAIA and Dorian Moore, FAIA

© 2026 City Builders
Economics
Episodes
  • Sketching is a Passion!
    Jan 21 2026

    Here is another City Builders episode

    Great architects and urban designers draw. They use pen and paper to develop ideas and communicate their designs and city building concepts.

    Come and join Mark and Dorian on an in-depth discussion on the power, inspiration and passion of sketching.

    NOTE: All sketches and written notes shown in the video were created by Mark Nickita, FAIA and Dorian Moore, FAIA except as noted by others architects.

    sketches shown by other architects are from source material/books identified and credited here:

    Book: Helmut Jahn, text by Nory Miller, Publisher - Rizzoli
    Book: Michael Graves, Buildings and Projects 1982-1989, Publisher - Rizzoli
    Book: Michael Graves, Buildings and Projects 1966-1981, Publisher - Rizzoli
    Book: Places, Terry Farrell-Life and Work-early years to 1981, Publisher-Lawrence King Publishing, Ltd
    Book: Richard Rogers Partnership, works and projects, Richard Burdett, Publisher- Monacelli Press
    Book: Le Corbusier, Toward an Architecture, Jean-Louis Cohen, Publisher- Frances Lincoln Limited
    Book: The City as a Tangled Bank, Terry Farrell, Publisher- AD Primer, Wiley
    Book: Terry Farrell, Urban Design, Publisher- Academy Editions, Ernst & Sohn

    Please join the City Builders, LIKE and SUBSCRIBE to the YouTube channel

    @CityBuildersLog __________________________________________________________________________________________
    City Builders hosts:

    Mark Nickita, FAIA
    President of Archive DS, Detroit + Toronto. Architects, Urban Designers, City Builders

    Dorian Moore, FAIA
    Vice President of Archive DS, Detroit + Toronto. Architects, Urban Designers, City Builders

    Mark Nickita, FAIA and Dorian Moore, FAIA lead Archive DS, a distinctly unique urban design, architectural, planning and development consulting practice. Archive DS travels the globe studying and documenting urban development for use in practice in cities around North America.
    They are City Builders.

    Archive DS [Design Studio] is an award-winning team of urban specialists focused on re-establishing post-industrial cities and urban sites, with a primary emphasis on the Lake Belt Region of North America. Through architecture, urban design, civic leadership, entrepreneurial activity, lecturing and global urban research, Archive DS has established a reputation as experts regarding the enhancement of the built environment and their various challenges.

    The firm’s partners also serve as a resource on urban issues, as civic and professional leaders for local and national media outlets. Their professional experience has encompassed many aspects of city-making. These include major civic projects, adaptive reuse buildings, innovative mixed-use developments and historic renovations as well as the creation of design and economic strategies, urban visioning, and Placemaking, in addition to working as developers and the branding of projects and urban districts.

    Mark Nickita, FAIA and Dorian Moore, FAIA are available to assist in the develop of building and urban design projects. They often team up with other firms and consult with development groups and municipalities. They have also presented and lectured for numerous groups on a variety of urban issues and topics throughout North America.

    contact info:
    www. ArchiveDS.com
    info@ArchiveDS.com
    313.963.6687
    __________________________________________________________________________________
    Music for video Intro and Outro:
    "Changers"
    written and performed by Curtainwall

    Curtainwall is:
    Dave Baker - Guitars
    Mike Gusway - Bass
    Mark Nickita - Drums+Vocals

    Show More Show Less
    30 mins
  • G.U.S. LonCar-Brunswick Talk
    Jan 21 2026

    Here is another City Builders episode

    This episode is a GLOBAL URBAN STUDY (GUS), on-site, summary of observations and dialogue, from the partners at Archive DS, on a travel study to the United Kingdom.

    Architects and urban designers, Mark Nickita, FAIA and Dorian Moore, FAIA discuss how the study and lessons learned from the observations and analysis of UK cities provide great insight into city building.

    These global studies provide them information and direction in regards to ways that make cities better places for people, and guide their professional work.

    Its a discussion about lessons learned and precedent, both good and not so good, and how the study of cities inform, inspire and assist to explain and direct our built environment.

    Come and join Mark and Dorian on the 1st of many GLOBAL URBAN STUDY videos from around the world.

    Please join the City Builders, LIKE and SUBSCRIBE to the YouTube channel

    @CityBuildersLog
    ___________________________________________________________________________
    City Builders hosts:

    Mark Nickita, FAIA
    President, co-founder of Archive DS, Detroit + Toronto. Architects, Urban Designers, City Builders

    Dorian Moore, FAIA
    Vice President, co-founder of Archive DS, Detroit + Toronto. Architects, Urban Designers, City Builders

    Mark Nickita, FAIA and Dorian Moore, FAIA lead Archive DS, a distinctly unique urban design, architectural, planning and development consulting practice. Archive DS travels the globe studying and documenting urban development for use in practice in cities around North America.
    They are City Builders.

    Archive DS [Design Studio] is an award-winning team of urban specialists focused on re-establishing post-industrial cities and urban sites, with a primary emphasis on the Lake Belt Region of North America. Through architecture, urban design, civic leadership, entrepreneurial activity, lecturing and global urban research, Archive DS has established a reputation as experts regarding the enhancement of the built environment and their various challenges.

    The firm’s partners also serve as a resource on urban issues, as civic and professional leaders for local and national media outlets. Their professional experience has encompassed many aspects of city-making. These include major civic projects, adaptive reuse buildings, innovative mixed-use developments and historic renovations as well as the creation of design and economic strategies, urban visioning, and Placemaking, in addition to working as developers and the branding of projects and urban districts.

    Mark Nickita, FAIA and Dorian Moore, FAIA are available to assist in the develop of building and urban design projects. They often team up with other firms and extensively consult with development groups and municipalities. They have also presented and lectured for numerous groups on a variety of urban issues and topics throughout North America.

    contact info:
    www. ArchiveDS.com
    info@ArchiveDS.com
    313.963.6687
    ___________________________________________________________________________
    Music for video Intro and Outro:
    "Changers"
    written and performed by Curtainwall

    Curtainwall is:
    Dave Baker - Guitars
    Mike Gusway - Bass
    Mark Nickita - Drums+Vocals

    Show More Show Less
    24 mins
  • What is a City Builder? Overview
    Jan 21 2026

    Here is another City Builders episode

    This episode is focused around the explanation of the term "City Builders" and why the partners at Archive DS use it to describe themselves and what they do to help to make cities greater places for people.

    Architects and urban designers, Mark Nickita, FAIA and Dorian Moore, FAIA discuss how city building is the complete way to make cities better.

    Please join the City Builders, LIKE and SUBSCRIBE to the YouTube channel

    @CityBuildersLog
    ___________________________________________________________________________
    City Builders hosts:

    Mark Nickita, FAIA
    President, co-founder of Archive DS, Detroit + Toronto. Architects, Urban Designers, City Builders

    Dorian Moore, FAIA
    Vice President, co-founder of Archive DS, Detroit + Toronto. Architects, Urban Designers, City Builders

    Mark Nickita, FAIA and Dorian Moore, FAIA lead Archive DS, a distinctly unique urban design, architectural, planning and development consulting practice. Archive DS travels the globe studying and documenting urban development for use in practice in cities around North America.
    They are City Builders.

    Archive DS [Design Studio] is an award-winning team of urban specialists focused on re-establishing post-industrial cities and urban sites, with a primary emphasis on the Lake Belt Region of North America. Through architecture, urban design, civic leadership, entrepreneurial activity, lecturing and global urban research, Archive DS has established a reputation as experts regarding the enhancement of the built environment and their various challenges.

    The firm’s partners also serve as a resource on urban issues, as civic and professional leaders for local and national media outlets. Their professional experience has encompassed many aspects of city-making. These include major civic projects, adaptive reuse buildings, innovative mixed-use developments and historic renovations as well as the creation of design and economic strategies, urban visioning, and Placemaking, in addition to working as developers and the branding of projects and urban districts.

    Mark Nickita, FAIA and Dorian Moore, FAIA are available to assist in the develop of building and urban design projects. They often team up with other firms and extensively consult with development groups and municipalities. They have also presented and lectured for numerous groups on a variety of urban issues and topics throughout North America.

    contact info:
    www. ArchiveDS.com
    info@ArchiveDS.com
    313.963.6687
    ___________________________________________________________________________
    Music for video Intro and Outro:
    "Changers"
    written and performed by Curtainwall

    Curtainwall is:
    Dave Baker - Guitars
    Mike Gusway - Bass
    Mark Nickita - Drums+Vocals

    Show More Show Less
    8 mins
No reviews yet