The Lofts of SoHo: Gentrification, Art, and Industry in New York, 1950-1980 traces the history of the SoHo district from industrial space to artists’ haven to upper-class residential neighborhood. Aaron Shkuda, project manager of the Princeton-Mellon Initiative in Architecture, Urbanism, and the Humanities, describes how the development of this district showcases the role artists have played in shaping cities.