Think of Pittsburgh as a place where good design is a part of the built environment around us, where inspiration is generated by the thoughtful and creative communities in our midst.
The Community Design Center of Pittsburgh is making this happen through its 2008/2009 Design Excellence Lecture Series this year. Three events are scheduled that will feature a nationally-acclaimed speaker followed by a panel discussion by local designers.
The speakers, all experts in civic planning and design, will reflect the themes of city-building, visionary planning, sustainability, community engagement, and civic awareness. San Francisco architect Fred Dust, leader of the Smart Space practice at IDEO, a company that guides organizations through innovative design, will be the first to address the forum on Oct. 27th.
“Our goal is to begin a dialogue based on what we hear from the guest speaker and learn how these ideas are relevant to Pittsburgh and how we may move forward,” says Anne-Marie Lubenau, president and CEO. “We’ve sought out people who are engaged in the community process, who can help us develop a community vision.”
Margaret Crawford, author and professor of Urban Design and Planning Theory at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, will speak in February; Walter J. Hood, landscape architect and Landscape Architecture & Environmental Planning and Urban Design professor at UC Berkeley College of Environmental Design will speak in April.
The CDCP, celebrating its 40th year in Pittsburgh, has given more then $1 million in grants that have leveraged more than $90 million worth of development in Pittsburgh’s communities.
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Writer: Deb Smit
Source: Anne-Marie Lubenau, CDCP
Image courtesy IDEO