Cities in Transition: Designing for a World in Flux

{"version":"0.3.0","atoms":[],"cards":[],"markups":[["b"],["strong"],["s"],["u"],["a",["href","https:\/\/me.aia.org\/s\/interests","target","_blank"]],["a",["href","http:\/\/www.aia.org\/rudc","target","_blank"]],["a",["href","https:\/\/aiau.aia.org\/theme\/aiau\/details.php?id=928 ","target","_blank"]],["a",["href"," https:\/\/aiau.aia.org\/theme\/aiau\/details.php?id=934. ","target","_blank"]],["a",["href","https:\/\/aiau.aia.org\/theme\/aiau\/details.php?id=1035 ","target","_blank"]],["a",["href","https:\/\/www.aia.org\/resources\/6583401-2023-aia-regional--urban-design ","target","_blank"]],["a",["href","https:\/\/network.aia.org\/blogs\/brian-mclaren\/2017\/12\/31\/local-rudc-committees?CommunityKey=223714bf-4a08-4c6b-9c5a-726f56b21797\u0026tab=recentcommunityblogsdashboard ","target","_blank"]]],"sections":[[1,"h2",[[0,[],0,"Missed the rich\ndialogue, expert insights, and hands-on experiences for urban designers and\nthinkers at the AIA\nRegional\nand Urban Design Community\nSymposium last\nmonth?\nA recap of the two-day\nsymposium captures emerging\ntrends, theories, and technologies that are shaping the future of regional and\nurban design. "]]],[1,"h3",[[0,[0],1,"Day One: Presentation and Panels"],[0,[],0," "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[1],1,"Jonathan Barnett,"],[0,[],0," FAIA, FAICP, offered\ninsight\non\nthe impact\nof climate change and the growing aspiration for healthy urban living.\nThe\nUniversity\nof Pennsylvania professor of Practice Emeritus\nanswered the question: How can cities increase their resilience to climate change? Key concepts include creating cities that can better\nrespond to climate shocks and developing new environmentally responsive projects.\nEncouraging\nthe audience to know their community and keep\nclients engaged, he stressed ideas, that should seem\nlogical but still need to be uplifted when in early planning and design stages,\nincluding the need for nature-based designs, the growing need to consider all\naspects of environmental justice and to look for design solutions or\nimprovements that pay for themselves. Additional\n\nthemes on this topic included the ever increasing need to keep client and\ncommunity engagement and collaboration at the heart of the process.\n \n"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[1],1,"Gia Biagi"],[0,[],0,",\nprincipal of Urbanism at Studio Gang,\nshared\nhow\npublic\nspaces\nprepare\nfor future\nchallenges.\nShe offered ideas and case studies from her time as commissioner of Chicago\u2019s\nDepartment of Transportation, where she delivered hundreds of innovative city\ntransportation projects and created a nation-leading strategic plan\nfocused on safe, sustainable, and efficient mobility options and building\nequity into its daily operations. The\nsession also explored ways architects and planners must delve\ninto the evolving urban landscapes, driven by the need for more pedestrian\nareas, expanded bicycle networks, and sustainable, inclusive spaces.\nThe\nneed for equitable\npublic\ntransportation, resilient infrastructure, reimagined street designs, and\nhow\nurban\nlandscapes foster\nidentity\nand public engagement were key topics discussed.\n "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[1],1,"Nico Larco"],[0,[],0,",\nAIA, professor of Architecture and Urban Design at the University of Oregon,\nasked attendees to think big regarding\nhow emerging technologies are transforming our cities and work.\nHe impressed\nupon\nhow\nquickly innovative technologies\nsuch as smart cities, autonomous vehicles, and drone delivery will shape the\nfuture form and function of our cities. The impact\non\nhow\narchitects\nand planners plan and design cities using tools\nlike parametric design, AI, and machine\nlearning. Nico highlighted the dual nature of\ntechnological innovation in cities as both exciting and terrifying. He\nemphasized the significance of this event as a collaborative space to address\nthese challenges, shaping the future of urban places together. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"The importance of affordable and accessible\nhousing was a key message that "],[0,[1],1,"Andre Brumfield"],[0,[],0,", Assoc. AIA., Cities \u0026 Urban\nDesign Leader, Principal, Gensler, impressed upon the audience.\nChanging\nwork patterns, online shopping and the resulting post-pandemic economic shifts\nand social justice issues are also driving significant transformations in our\ncities, prompting a reevaluation of the roles of downtowns, neighborhoods, and\nsuburbs. Brumfield\nclosed\nwith a call to action to make all our cities more connected cities that create\nquality and equitable\nplaces for all our residents. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[0],1,"Day Two: Exploring\nWashington, DC"],[0,[],0," "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Day two offered immersive experiences and on-site\ntours across the Washington"],[0,[2],1,","],[0,[3],1,"\n"],[0,[],0,"DC, metropolitan\nregion,\nproviding\na deep dive into innovative urban design projects, from exploring the\ntransformation of parking lots to places at Pike\nand Rose in North Bethesda to diving into the design and vision of Anacostia\u0027s\n11th Street Bridge Park connecting communities.\nOther tours included a workshop session on Transit Oriented Development and a\nbuilding tour at WMATA Metro HQ; the\nevolving historic Union Market District, the revitalized\nwaterfront area of District Wharf; reimaging the\nfuture of Pennsylvania\nAvenue led by NCPC; the transformation\nof\nNational Landing at Crystal City; and the future of cities\nreimagined\nat Potomac Yards and Virginia Tech Innovation Campus. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"The symposium was hosted by the AIA Regional and\nUrban Design Knowledge Community (RUDC) in collaboration with APA Design and\nPreservation Division (APA Des-Pres), AIA UD|DC, ASLA Potomac, and\nWashington-Alexandria Architecture Center WAAC at Virginia Tech. "]]],[1,"h3",[[0,[],0,"RUDC Resources"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[4],1,"Join"],[0,[],0," the RUDC\nKnowledge Community and watch its "],[0,[5],1,"website"],[0,[],0," for future\nannouncements regarding\nthe 2024\nRUDC\nSymposium\nand\nother\nevents\nand programs,\nincluding the RUDC\npanel and reception at AIA24 in\nWashington, DC, next June. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Earn AIA CES\ncredits with these AIAU On-Demand Courses: "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[6],1,"Rethinking Food Urbanism: Creating a More\nNourishing, Equitable and Resilient Future"],[0,[],0," \n"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[7],1,"Sustainable Futures | Feel \u0026 Function: Urban\nTransformations Panel "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[8],1,"Designing Biophilic Cities "],[0,[],0,"\n"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[9],1,"Learn more about\nthe\n2023\nAIA Regional \u0026 Urban Design Awards Program and Recipients"],[0,[],0," \n"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[10],1,"Engage with your state\nor local RUDC committee."],[0,[],0," \n"]]]]}