Detroit is abuzz with talk about Omar Blaik’s revitalization plan for the historic Midtown neighborhood, which recently got extensive write-ups from the Detroit News and the Free-Press; the latest issue of Dwell features a two-page spread on Alexander Gorlin’s The Brook development in the Bronx; a torquing tower designed by Daniel Libeskind will soon join a new cluster of skyscrapers rising in Jerusalem; John Palmieri recently visited Belfast as a guest lecturer for the city’s State of the City Development Debate; the Architect’s Newspaper recently visited Moshe Safdie’s studio for a look at his current projects, while the Huffington Post featured a slideshow of the architect’s daring Golden Dream Bay Sky Garden Apartments in Qinhuangdao; Richard Sennett wrote an article in the Guardian on the recent funding scandal at the London School of Economics; New York magazine talked to Ethel Sheffer about the uniquely depressing quality of long-vacant storefronts in newer buildings; Michael Stepner spoke to the Voice of San Diego about the challenges presented by “invisible parks”; construction is just getting underway to transform a disused stretch of Sydney’s waterfront into the 15-acre Headlands Park, designed by Peter Walker; and HuffPo visited the serenely swooping gardens (pictured at left), designed by John Wong, at the base of the world’s tallest building, Dubai’s Burj Khalifa.
Fellows in the News: Blaik, Gorlin, Libeskind, Palmieri, Safdie, Sennett, Sheffer, Stepner, Walker, & Wong
Monday, March 21st, 2011Benepe, Burden, and Burney to Discuss Design in New York
Monday, July 19th, 2010
The third installment of the Architectural League’s Conversations on New York series will take place tomorrow, July 20, at 7:00 PM in the Cooper Union’s Great Hall, 7 East 7th Street. This session will bring together the heads of three of New York City’s most design-conscious departments: Adrian Benepe (Parks), Amanda Burden (Planning), and David Burney (Design and Construction). The discussion will be moderated by New Yorker architecture critic Paul Goldberger. League members may reserve a ticket by e-mailing: rsvp@archleague.org; non-members can purchase tickets here for $15.
StastnyBrun Architects Evolves
Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010
We’re excited to report that StastnyBrun Architects, Inc., led by IfUD Fellow Donald J. Stastny, FAIA, FAICP, announced today that, on July 1, 2010, the firm will evolve into a new consultancy, STATSNY: architect. The Portland, Oregon-based firm, which recently celebrated its 35th anniversary, will continue to focus on place-making, planning and urban design, and design process innovation.
“It’s difficult to let go of something you’ve spent 35 years building, but I feel like we’ve lived up to our commitment to do really good design work and created an environment for others to do good work as well,” Stastny said of StastnyBrun, adding: “The biggest impact we can have now is teaching and mentoring, rather than just ‘doing.’ It’s time to pass on our belief system and experience.”
June Williamson Featured in GOOD Magazine
Wednesday, April 21st, 2010
Institute Fellow June Williamson, Associate Professor of Urban Design at the City College of New York, was recently featured in GOOD Magazine’s Neighborhoods Issue. The article, “Agriculture is the New Golf: Rethinking Suburban Communities” by Allison Arieff, cites Williamson’s expertise in suburban development patterns. Williamson has worked extensively in the field and co-authored the book Retrofitting Suburbia: Urban Design Solutions for Redesigning Suburb with Ellen Dunham-Jones.
Urban Design for an Urban Century
Thursday, January 15th, 2009
John Wiley & Sons released Urban Design for an Urban Century: Placemaking for People. Institute fellows Lance Jay Brown, David Dixon, and Oliver Gillham collaborated on the book. More
Retrofitting Suburbia by Ellen Dunham-Jones and June Williamson
Monday, December 1st, 2008
Wiley Press released Retrofitting Suburbia: Urban Design Solutions for Redesigning Suburbs by acclaimed architects Ellen Dunham-Jones and June Williamson, Institute fellow and contributor to The New York 2030 Notebook. More

