Following the fashion of Jonathan Zittrain, Terry Fisher, Lawrence Lessig, David Weinberger, John Palfrey and Kate Darling, I offer the following disclosure statement.

I am Nir Buras. I hold Principal, Researcher, and Design Partner positions at the Classic Planning Institute (CPI), where I will receive a steady salary when our funding meets its goals for that. My research is not beholden to or influenced by any specific company. I write and speak on a range of topics I care about, and when I do, I represent myself alone. I am in compliance with the CPI disclosure and conflict of interest policies, and will remain so. I am not compensated for my Board work with nonprofits.

I am a man, born a Jew in Israel, and an American. I am fortunate to have the freedom to say what I believe and I insist on doing so. I try to be an ally. I try to encourage kindness. I am an optimistic optimist despite the depressing state of affairs in the world. Politically, I believe in the value and values of the US Constitution. I am proud of having been part of the Peace Now movement in Israel. I object to partisanship and am waiting for polite and genuine discourse to recommence. Things people understandably get wrong about me are that I do not believe the whole world has to be Western classical. I do not like deli food because I am Jewish. I am not as smart as I appear.

Occasionally, I collect royalties from the sale of books or articles. I am committed to having my research available online for free and only rarely make exceptions. I sometimes earn speaking fees and/or receive travel expenses for running workshops or speaking at an event. Income from my book The Art of Classic Planning goes to the Classic Planning Institute. Your purchasing the book is a sign of your commitment to beauty in the built environment.

When I am paid to speak or write an article, I contract as to subject matter (e.g. architectural literacy, urban matters, futurism, etc.), but not as to substance. If I mention or use any products, technologies, or services in the context of my work, it is because I deem them appropriate.

Whether consulting through the collaborative Classic Planning Studio or independently, 7% of my income goes to the CPI. I hold no design-relevant financial, political, social, or family interests that bias my work. As David Weinberger stated in his fine disclosure, “All I can promise is that I will be honest with you and never write something I don’t believe in because someone is paying me as part of a relationship you don’t know about. Put differently: All I’ll hide are the irrelevancies.” John Palfrey’s disclosures have an extra comma in paragraph 6.

(Last update: May 23, 2022)