Blair Kamin is the architecture critic of the Chicago Tribune and the writer of the Cityscapes blog. He is a winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism and continues a tradition of accessible but authoritative criticism begun by the Tribune's first modern-day architecture critic, Pulitzer Prize-winner Paul Gapp.

Born in Red Bank, N.J., Kamin is a graduate of Amherst College, from which he received a Bachelor of Arts with honors in 1979, and the Yale University School of Architecture, from which he received a Master of Environmental Design in 1984. He holds honorary degrees from Monmouth University and North Central College, where he serves as an adjunct professor of art. He has lectured widely and has discussed architecture on programs ranging from ABC's "Nightline" to WTTW-Ch. 11's "Chicago Tonight." The University of Chicago Press has published two collections of his columns: "Why Architecture Matters: Lessons from Chicago" (2001) and "Terror and Wonder: Architecture in a Tumultuous Age" (2010). He also wrote the commentaries for "Tribune Tower: American Landmark," a guide to the newspaper's neo-Gothic skyscraper published in 2000.

Kamin is the recipient more than 30 awards, including the Pulitzer, which he received in 1999 for a body of work highlighted by a series of articles about the problems and promise of Chicago's greatest public space, its lakefront. He has twice served as a Pulitzer Prize juror.

Kamin lives with his wife, Chicago Tribune reporter Barbara Mahany, and their two sons in north suburban Wilmette.

We have the freedom to assemble--but where? Fortress Chicago we're not, but public and private spaces can be contested grounds 5/18/2012
From today's print edition So far, at least, fears that the upcoming NATO summit would produce an ugly, alienating Fortress Chicago have yet to come true. The city's parks and plazas remain open. There are more police than normal on...

Samuelson curates new exhibit about Wright's early years in Chicago 5/17/2012
The always-insightful Tim Samuelson, Chicago's cultural historian, has a new exhibition ready--"Wright's Roots," exploring Frank Lloyd Wright's early years in Chicago. The show opens on June 22. If it's half as good as Samuelson's fabulous Louis Sullivan exhibition of two...

'Confidence' one of mayor's building blocks for new tower; city will contribute $29 million to construct park alongside new 45-story high rise 5/17/2012
From today's print edition By John Byrne Tribune reporter The city will kick in $29 million toward a downtown high rise project on a prime piece of riverfront property, Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced Wednesday. The long-discussed River Point office tower...

Protest pamphlets, videos get spot at McCormick Place during NATO meetings 5/16/2012
From today's print edition The American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois has reached an agreement with the managers of McCormick Place to allow protesters to place literature and multimedia materials inside the convention center while world leaders are there for...

Different verdicts as the new Barnes Foundation building readies to open in Philadelphia 5/15/2012
I'm back from a quick trip to Philadelphia, where I got a very brief nighttime look at the new Barnes Foundation building by Tod Williams and Billie Tsien, who have also designed the soon-to-be-completed Logan Center for the Arts at...