Mary Margaret Schoenfeld's Blog

In a recent column, David Brooks made the case for studying the liberal arts at a time when accounting majors are having the best luck finding work. He talked about the ability of the arts and humanities to tap into emotions inaccessible through other means—a gateway to understanding that which cannot be quantified or deconstructed.

The places we live in can be measured, mapped and analyzed on multiple fronts. But they are also defined by the multiple stories within, by the nature of their landscape, by the motivations of leaders and laborers and by the feelings people carry with them. If we want to plan for and create sound futures for our cities and towns, we need to incorporate the arts and humanities into community building.