Archinect - News 2024-05-02T14:42:27-04:00 https://archinect.com/news/article/150338207/philly-s-infamous-police-headquarters-faces-an-uncertain-future-as-a-symbol-of-brutality Philly's infamous police headquarters faces an uncertain future as a symbol of brutality Josh Niland 2023-02-06T18:51:00-05:00 >2023-02-07T21:53:09-05:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/da/dacc0d183796a54d5460d80ec7279281.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><em><p>The city of Philadelphia is prepared to release a report detailing a months-long community engagement effort officials say will inform the fate of the Roundhouse, the unusual concrete building that served as police headquarters for more than six decades. Many of the residents who participated in that process said they want to see the shuttered building at 7th and Race streets repurposed as a community hub that recognizes the site&rsquo;s long history of police abuse.</p></em><br /><br /><p>Philadelphia has a long-frayed relationship between its police department and the community, including most notably the <a href="https://www.vox.com/the-highlight/2019/8/8/20747198/philadelphia-bombing-1985-move" target="_blank">1985 MOVE Bombing</a>&nbsp;that claimed the lives of 11 activists while displacing another 250 people and destroying 61 homes. The Roundhouse has a central role in this fraught history, and now opinions are <a href="https://www.phillytrib.com/news/local_news/wide-and-varied-opinions-offered-of-future-of-philly-s-roundhouse-during-months-of-public/article_ddcd5448-02ef-558b-8551-b893c41cabae.html" target="_blank">split</a> over its proposed future redevelopment.&nbsp;</p> <p>Robert Geddes, one of the building&rsquo;s three designers has chimed in to say he feels it should be given a <a href="https://www.inquirer.com/news/roundhouse-philadelphia-architect-robert-geddes-20220911.html?utm_source=pocket_saves" target="_blank">second life</a> as a font for social justice activities and other types of community-based activism. The 125,000-square-foot <a href="https://archinect.com/news/tag/87928/brutalism" target="_blank">Brutalist</a>-style structure has also been floated as the potential site of affordable housing, though its layout remains difficult to convert by most estimates.&nbsp;</p> <p>A final decision on its fate is expected sometime within the calendar year.&nbsp;</p> https://archinect.com/news/article/150265214/plywood-boards-used-to-protect-new-york-establishments-are-repurposed-into-captivating-sculptures Plywood boards used to protect New York establishments are repurposed into captivating sculptures Nathaniel Bahadursingh 2021-05-25T17:52:00-04:00 >2024-03-15T01:45:58-04:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/6f/6ffd0fd6fe7a747670cc2c28be086bbf.jpeg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><p>Across New York City&rsquo;s five boroughs, five new public art installations are on display, each made from salvaged plywood boards that were used for a much different purpose a year ago.</p> <figure><p><a href="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/11/11e36d0eea75534c5acf3e025036d563.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&amp;w=1028" target="_blank"><img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/11/11e36d0eea75534c5acf3e025036d563.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&amp;w=514"></a></p><figcaption><em>Be Heard</em> by Behin Ha Design Studio.&nbsp;</figcaption></figure><figure><p><a href="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/82/823dfe373be8213cf14bade87c59b5dc.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&amp;w=1028" target="_blank"><img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/82/823dfe373be8213cf14bade87c59b5dc.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&amp;w=514"></a></p><figcaption><em>Be Heard</em> by Behin Ha Design Studio.&nbsp;</figcaption></figure><p>The sculptural pieces were created as part of New York art nonprofit worthless studios&rsquo; <a href="https://www.worthlessstudios.org/projects#/plywoodprotection/" target="_blank">Plywood Protection Project</a>. The initiative sought and repurposed discarded plywood boards that were formerly used to seal and protect New York City storefronts closed due to the pandemic and last summer&rsquo;s protests calling for justice and reform regarding systemic racism and police brutality <a href="https://archinect.com/news/tag/570574/black-lives-matter" target="_blank">towards Black Americans</a>. worthless studios notes that during peak protest months across the city, prices skyrocketed to above $90 for a single 4&rsquo; x 8&rsquo; AC plywood board, and supply rapidly depleted.&nbsp;<br></p> <figure><p><a href="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/8d/8d9c1b8ad845b67c7741ece007dba8cd.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&amp;w=1028" target="_blank"><img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/8d/8d9c1b8ad845b67c7741ece007dba8cd.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&amp;w=514"></a></p><figcaption><em>In Honor of Black Lives Matter</em> by KaN Landscape Design and Caroline Mardok.</figcaption></figure><figure><a href="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/fd/fdece7c7953ef17261d98a980ea7f7e6.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&amp;w=1028" target="_blank"><img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/fd/fdece7c7953ef17261d98a980ea7f7e6.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&amp;w=514"></a><figcaption><em>In Honor of Black Lives Matter</em> by KaN Landscape Design and Caroline Mardok.</figcaption></figure><p>Rather than l...</p> https://archinect.com/news/article/150260421/noma-leadership-echos-the-need-to-fight-all-systems-of-bias-oppression-and-prejudice-following-the-guilty-verdict-in-the-chauvin-trial NOMA leadership echos the need to 'fight all systems of bias, oppression, and prejudice' following the guilty verdict in the Chauvin trial Katherine Guimapang 2021-04-26T17:37:00-04:00 >2024-03-15T01:45:58-04:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/85/8596296282f4d9b41465e93f7a9e82ed.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><p>On Wednesday, April 20th, the guilty verdict in the trial of Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd brought a ripple effect of response and emotion across the nation. While this verdict is a step, it is not a "static pivot," explained by NOMA's current President&nbsp;<a href="https://archinect.com/news/article/150245689/noma-celebrates-jason-pugh-pascale-sablan-and-tiffany-brown-as-they-embrace-leadership-and-50-years-of-empowering-and-educating-minority-architects" target="_blank">Jason Pugh</a>&nbsp;and former NOMA President&nbsp;<a href="https://archinect.com/news/article/150161553/madame-president-goes-all-in-a-conversation-with-noma-president-kimberly-dowdell" target="_blank">Kimberly Dowdell</a>. As the&nbsp;<a href="https://archinect.com/news/tag/570574/black-lives-matter" target="_blank">Black Lives Matter</a>&nbsp;movement continues to spark awareness and action, architecture schools, firms, and organizations across the nation responded with support to stand with the Black community and to demand racial justice within the industry.&nbsp;</p> <p>After hearing the trial results, it led me to reflect on the&nbsp;<a href="https://archinect.com/news/article/150200375/aia-noma-and-other-organizations-issue-statements-of-solidarity-with-black-community" target="_blank">statements and plans from the architecture community shared in 2020</a>. Since last year, what tangible results have occurred since architects, firms, and institutions addressed the need to dismantle systemic racism and white supremacy? While steps towards anti-racism are a daily affair, how deep can these statements and reform plans go before we see a change?</p> <figure><p><a href="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/7a/7a7a823129174c312b6e48d9579d3d17.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&amp;w=1028" target="_blank"><img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/7a/7a7a823129174c312b6e48d9579d3d17.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&amp;w=514"></a></p><figcaption>Prev...</figcaption></figure> https://archinect.com/news/article/150236355/join-archinect-for-an-important-panel-discussion-creating-a-more-diverse-future-in-a-d Join Archinect for an important panel discussion, "Creating a More Diverse Future in A&D" Archinect 2020-11-04T15:46:00-05:00 >2024-03-15T01:45:58-04:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/45/45b78c251d96fe12ab75102bed8a0546.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><p>Do the architecture&nbsp;and design&nbsp;industries represent the same diversity as the population it serves? This panel takes a look at this critical issue, and will address ways to make positive changes to ensure we push towards justice, equity, diversity and inclusion in A&amp;D.</p> <p>We invite you to join us for a&nbsp;<a href="https://parade.build/events?event_id=13&amp;platform=archinect-diversity-news" target="_blank">special discussion this upcoming Monday, November 9th, from 1-2 pm EST / 10-11 am PST</a>, featuring a panel of industry leaders that have dedicated their work towards reshaping our industry into one that better represents the communities at large.&nbsp;</p> <figure><p><a href="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/27/27e37e77edba88028bd2b0c495ef77ce.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&amp;w=1028" target="_blank"><img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/27/27e37e77edba88028bd2b0c495ef77ce.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&amp;w=514"></a></p></figure><p>Distinguished panelists include <a href="https://archinect.com/news/article/150230598/archinect-sessions-159-on-racial-inequality-in-aec-with-karen-compton" target="_blank">Karen Compton</a>, Principal at A3K; <a href="https://archinect.com/news/article/150161553/madame-president-goes-all-in-a-conversation-with-noma-president-kimberly-dowdell" target="_blank">Kimberly Dowdell</a>, President at NOMA; <a href="https://archinect.com/features/article/150187761/a-conversation-with-julia-gamolina-founder-of-madame-architect" target="_blank">Julia Gamolina</a>, Founder at Madame Architect; <a href="https://www.gensler.com/people/todd-heiser" target="_blank">Todd Heiser</a>, Managing Director at Gensler; &amp;&nbsp;<a href="http://www.fxcollaborative.com/activity/news/549/" target="_blank">Ann Rolland</a>, Partner at FXCollaborative.&nbsp;The panel will be moderated by Paul Petrunia, Archinect's Founder/Director.&nbsp;</p> <p>To RSVP for this virtual panel,&nbsp;<a href="https://parade.build/events?event_id=13&amp;platform=archinect-diversity-news" target="_blank">please click the "reserve" button at this link</a>. Space is limited and registration is required to attend.&nbsp;</p>... https://archinect.com/news/article/150232070/the-tuition-to-income-ratio-is-very-concerning-for-all-and-terrifying-for-the-black-community The tuition to income ratio is very concerning for all, and terrifying for the Black community Paul Petrunia 2020-10-09T13:46:00-04:00 >2024-03-15T01:45:58-04:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/33/334199e1a62d4bafe5417af67b7670bf.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><p><a href="https://archinect.com/news/article/150209017/archinect-sessions-158-a-conversation-with-nathalie-frankowski-and-cruz-garcia-of-wai-architecture-think-tank" target="_blank">Cruz Garcia and Nathalie Frankowski</a> of <a href="https://archinect.com/waithinktank" target="_blank">WAI Think Tank</a> have released some very troubling new data as part of their ongoing work studying <a href="https://archinect.com/news/tag/1606854/anti-racism" target="_blank">structural racism</a> in architecture. Part of their research has tracked the cost of tuition, along with other related typical expenses with student living, with the median household income in a number of cities across the US.&nbsp;</p> <p>In Manhattan, for example, the annual tuition at <a href="https://archinect.com/columbiagsapp" target="_blank">Columbia GSAPP</a>, in the M.Arch program, costs over $61k, with additional related expenses adding up to nearly $100k. Meanwhile, the median white household income is around $86k and the median Black household income is only $28k.&nbsp;<em></em></p> <figure><img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/89/89b1cbb87524ab14e29da8c06c784951.jpg?fit=crop&amp;auto=compress%2Cformat&amp;w=514&amp;dpr=2"><figcaption>Archinect Sessions #158: <a href="https://archinect.com/news/article/150209017/archinect-sessions-158-a-conversation-with-nathalie-frankowski-and-cruz-garcia-of-wai-architecture-think-tank" target="_blank">A Conversation with Nathalie Frankowski and Cruz Garcia of WAI Architecture Think Tank</a></figcaption></figure><p>The "Anti-Liberation Paywall", part of their larger&nbsp;<em>Manual of Anti-Racist Architectural Pedagogy</em>, describes this problem in detail, and discusses the role of academic institutions as instruments of settler-colonial legacies, displacing infrastruct...</p> https://archinect.com/news/article/150228189/urban-planners-take-action-to-defund-the-police-by-calling-for-the-american-planning-association-to-respond Urban planners take action to defund the police by calling for the American Planning Association to respond Katherine Guimapang 2020-09-23T14:16:00-04:00 >2024-03-15T01:45:58-04:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/3a/3af09b8b3ec5b8d9deeb3b4f05321614.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><p>2020 has brought an increase in activism as the public reached its final tipping point from the&nbsp; racial and social injustices happening across the nation. With the inexcusable deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor,&nbsp; Elijah McClain, and others caused by police brutality, individuals across industries have taken note and voiced their concerns. With forms of allyship sweeping the nation, architects, academics, and urban planners have expressed their opinions and action plans. Although dismantling racial inequalities and systemic <a href="https://archinect.com/news/tag/104790/racism" target="_blank">racism</a> within the profession will not happen overnight, groups put their experience and training into action to respond to these injustices.</p> <p>In early August, <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-08-06/the-city-planners-case-to-defund-the-police" target="_blank">Brentin Mock of CityLab in Pittsburgh reported</a> on the responses of "several hundred" urban planners as they call for the American Planning Association to support defunding the police. Housing/food planner Sara Draper-Zievet, who is one of the eight co-authors of the letter, spoke with Mock on their steps ...</p> https://archinect.com/news/article/150211786/sci-arc-offers-plan-for-addressing-a-pervasive-and-persistent-lack-of-access-inclusion-and-equity-in-architecture SCI-Arc offers plan for addressing "a pervasive and persistent lack of access, inclusion, and equity" in architecture Antonio Pacheco 2020-08-17T15:34:00-04:00 >2024-03-15T01:45:58-04:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/6e/6e48cdb4c31d3cc667c75848df87f138.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><p>The Southern California Institute of Architecture (<a href="https://archinect.com/sciarc" target="_blank">SCI-Arc</a>) has issued a public statement highlighting the school's efforts to begin to address structural and racial inequalities within the field of architecture.&nbsp;</p> <p>Highlighting the growing civil rights movement in support of Black lives and racial justice that has intensified this summer, SCI-Arc Director Hernan Diaz Alonso and SCI-Arc Board Chairman&nbsp;Kevin Ratner have issued a statement that promises to rework curriculum priorities at the school, offers new financial support for BIPOC students, and promises to better engage with local issues while instituting widespread institutional reform, among other topics. </p> <figure><p><a href="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/03/03c66078452c0a79948a0ce75c8ad158.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&amp;w=1028" target="_blank"><img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/03/03c66078452c0a79948a0ce75c8ad158.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&amp;w=514"></a></p><figcaption>Previously on Archinect:<a href="https://archinect.com/news/article/150204915/black-columbia-gsapp-faculty-and-students-push-school-for-comprehensive-reforms" target="_blank">Black Columbia GSAPP faculty and students push school for comprehensive reforms</a>.&nbsp;Photo courtesy of Wikimedia user <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Columbia_University_Avery_Hall.jpg" target="_blank">GSAPPstudent</a></figcaption></figure><p>"We have not, as an institution, done enough to understand or dismantle how these embedded structures contribute to disenfranchisement on the basis of race, gender identity, sex...</p> https://archinect.com/news/article/150211364/southern-plantations-adapt-to-the-black-lives-matter-era Southern plantations adapt to the Black Lives Matter era Antonio Pacheco 2020-08-13T13:43:00-04:00 >2024-03-15T01:45:58-04:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/ce/cebffeeb44c1d9ec90967519740e71e5.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><p>While much attention has been paid this summer to the removal of racist monuments to the confederacy, America's legacy of historic plantations continues on as a lucrative, popular, and deeply controversial industry.&nbsp;</p> <p>A transformation has been taking place within some of the organizations and entities that own and operate these sites, however, writes&nbsp;Tiya Miles, professor of history at Harvard&nbsp;University, in <em><a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/08/08/opinion/what-should-we-do-with-plantations/?event=event12" target="_blank">The Boston Globe</a></em>.</p> <figure><p><a href="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/72/72952a17d5439573fff8290b2fff51fa.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&amp;w=1028" target="_blank"><img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/72/72952a17d5439573fff8290b2fff51fa.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&amp;w=514"></a></p><figcaption>Previously on Archinect: "<a href="https://archinect.com/news/article/150187053/architect-jobie-hill-is-creating-a-national-survey-of-america-s-slave-houses" target="_blank">Architect Jobie Hill is creating a national survey of America's slave houses</a>."&nbsp;Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons / Preservation Maryland.</figcaption></figure><p>Miles explores the conflicting messages sent by the operators of some of these estates in recent months as support for the Movement for Black Lives has increased even among the operators of former plantations.&nbsp;</p> <p>Miles also highlights Whitney Plantation in Louisiana and the McLeod Plantation in South Carolina has a new type of historic plantation that "consciously centers African and African American e...</p> https://archinect.com/news/article/150208554/risd-announces-plans-to-focus-on-social-equity-and-inclusion-in-art-and-design-education RISD announces plans to focus on social equity and inclusion in art and design education Antonio Pacheco 2020-07-23T14:56:00-04:00 >2020-07-23T15:36:35-04:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/78/7801543dfaa3e687217cf8c9b5a00914.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><p>As universities and colleges across the country have seen renewed calls for racial equity and social justice within their curricula, faculty, and programs, the Rhode Island School of Design (<a href="https://archinect.com/risd" target="_blank">RISD</a>) has announced a series of initiatives as part of effort to focus the school's pedagogy on anti-racist topics.&nbsp;</p> <p>A recent <a href="https://www.risd.edu/news/for-press/press-releases/president-somerson-announces-actions-to-advance-social-equity-at-risd/" target="_blank">letter</a> from RISD President&nbsp;Rosanne Somerson highlights a slate of changes that are coming to the school, including efforts to develop curricula that focuses on anti-racist agendas, engage with non-Eurocentric topics, expand faculty development around equity issues, and expand hiring of faculty members with "expertise in issues of race and decoloniality in the arts and design."</p><p>The school will also develop a new&nbsp;Office of Discrimination Reporting and Title IX, expand its existing Center for Social Equity and Inclusion, and expand mental health programs for BIPOC students.</p><p>The letter continues, "Evolving our college, museum and community is not just about eliminating racism; ...</p> https://archinect.com/news/article/150207956/princeton-soa-students-publish-open-letter-demanding-racial-justice Princeton SoA students publish open letter demanding racial justice Antonio Pacheco 2020-07-20T13:20:00-04:00 >2024-03-15T01:45:58-04:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/6b/6b16cac88eae9de1c068bf0a617c2caa.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><p>Students of the <a href="https://archinect.com/princetonsoa" target="_blank">Princeton University</a> School of Architecture have published a letter advocating for widespread changes to how the school operates in order to pursue an anti-racist agenda.&nbsp;</p> <p>The open letter, <a href="https://www.dailyprincetonian.com/article/2020/07/open-letter-on-anti-racism-to-the-princeton-school-of-architecture" target="_blank">published as an Op-Ed in <em>The Daily Princetonian</em></a><em></em>, offers a nine point plan for beginning to move the institution in the right direction. The letter, which is signed by over 80 current students and nearly 200 alumni, seeks to have the university divest from campus policing initiatives, recruit Black students, faculty, and speakers, provide administrative and financial support for Black students, center Black voices in the school's curriculum, "dismantle white supremacy in studio," ban inequitable labor practices at the school, implement anti-racism training for professors, staff, and students, deepen university and community relationships with the Black community, all the while pursuing these goals with a focus on transparency and accountability. </p> <figure><p><a href="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/32/320eae592b8754d0dd0ac39bc437c3d5.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&amp;w=1028" target="_blank"><img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/32/320eae592b8754d0dd0ac39bc437c3d5.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&amp;w=514"></a></p><figcaption>Previously on Archinect: "<a href="https://archinect.com/news/article/150202214/princeton-s-monica-ponce-de-leon-to-overcome-injustice-in-architecture-licensure-should-be-eliminated-or-radically-transformed" target="_blank">Princeton'...</a></figcaption></figure> https://archinect.com/news/article/150206244/philadelphia-s-monument-lab-revises-text-of-trump-s-sculpture-garden-executive-order Philadelphia's Monument Lab revises text of Trump's sculpture garden executive order Antonio Pacheco 2020-07-09T19:58:00-04:00 >2024-03-15T01:45:58-04:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/0d/0d2b27a1a74217c5b4875d1b49801ad5.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><p>Last week,&nbsp;President Donald Trump's unveiled the&nbsp;<em><a href="https://archinect.com/news/article/150205711/trump-proposes-national-garden-of-american-heroes-sculpture-park" target="_blank">Executive Order on Building and Rebuilding Monuments to American Heroes</a></em>, a measure that sets out to create a new&nbsp;"National Garden of American Heroes" to be filled with&nbsp;statues depicting "historically significant Americans.&nbsp;</p> <p>The executive order, which comes as a national reckoning over the thousands of confederate and other pro-slavery and anti-Indigenous public monuments continues, has been widely criticized as an outdated and likely problematic concept.</p> <figure><p><a href="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/22/22f8cf34ed707c0002c344edebebaac2.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&amp;w=1028" target="_blank"><img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/22/22f8cf34ed707c0002c344edebebaac2.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&amp;w=514"></a></p><figcaption>Previously on Archinect: "<a href="https://archinect.com/news/article/150205711/trump-proposes-national-garden-of-american-heroes-sculpture-park" target="_blank">Trump proposes National Garden of American Heroes sculpture park</a>." Photo courtesy of Wikimedia user <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jefferson_Davis_Monument_Foundation.jpg%22" target="_blank">Bart Everson</a>.</figcaption></figure><p>To this end, Philadelphia-based Monument Lab, a group that has led critical discourse on the nature, history, and significance of public monuments with an eye toward equity and justice since 2012, has rewritten the executive order to reflect the group's more expansive vision for the future of American monuments.&nbsp;</p> <p>The full text of the re-write is hi...</p> https://archinect.com/news/article/150204203/highways-another-enduring-monument-to-american-racism Highways: Another enduring monument to American racism? Antonio Pacheco 2020-06-24T17:58:00-04:00 >2024-01-23T19:16:08-05:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/8c/8c62e82d1f1d4e2ff0ed3058752ffdf1.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><em><p>The aftermath of George Floyd&rsquo;s death while in police custody has created a moment for radical truth-telling. So here&rsquo;s some ugly truth about the city of Los Angeles: Our freeway system is one of the most noxious monuments to racism and segregation in the country.</p></em><br /><br /><p>Mattew Fleischer, Senior Digital Editor of <em>The Los Angeles Times</em> pens an editorial for the newspaper highlighting the&nbsp;<a href="https://archinect.com/news/article/150152412/that-traffic-jam-you-re-stuck-in-blame-white-supremacy" target="_blank">indefensible, racist legacy of highway construction in American cities</a>.&nbsp;</p> <p>Citing historical research regarding the ways in which highway construction and urban renewal practices helped to institute and literally cement racial and income segregation, Fleischer writes, "Local officials rerouted the elaborate designs of freeway engineers &mdash; often at considerable expense &mdash; to destroy thousands of homes in racially diverse communities."</p> <p>These highways, Fleischer explains, continue to fuel environmental racism and other negative impacts for communities of color. Should they be torn down too?</p> https://archinect.com/news/article/150203459/designing-justice-designing-spaces-unveils-plan-to-re-purpose-atlanta-city-jail-into-center-for-equity Designing Justice + Designing Spaces unveils plan to re-purpose Atlanta city jail into "Center for Equity" Antonio Pacheco 2020-06-19T20:32:00-04:00 >2024-03-15T01:45:58-04:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/e4/e41190089fb3564de3f0d4ceb817b7f0.jpeg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><p>Oakland-based architecture and real estate development non-profit Designing Justice + Designing Spaces (<a href="https://designingjustice.org/#:~:text=Designing%20Justice%20%2B%20Designing%20Spaces%20is,designing%20for%20peacemaking%20and%20reparation." target="_blank">DJDS</a>) has unveiled a set of schematic proposals aimed at re-imagining Atlanta&rsquo;s city jail as a Center for Equity.</p> <p>The plans follow <a href="https://www.atlantaga.gov/home/showdocument?id=45691" target="_blank">extensive community consultation and design development workshops</a> focused on finding a new use for a 471,000-square-foot jail facility that has been rendered obsolete due to a wave of criminal and law enforcement reforms enacted by Atlanta Mayor&nbsp;Keisha Lance Bottoms.</p> <figure><p><a href="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/c7/c7b9c5ed5d995d45bf5d117b8680a990.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&amp;w=1028" target="_blank"><img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/c7/c7b9c5ed5d995d45bf5d117b8680a990.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&amp;w=514"></a></p><figcaption>A proposed "Super Lobby" space will bring a new community space to the neighborhood.</figcaption></figure><p>In an update announcing the latest phase of the project posted to the group's <a href="https://medium.com/@designingjustice/radically-reimagining-atlantas-justice-architecture-71aa643a49ca" target="_blank">Medium</a>, the DJDS explains that "it is important to recognize that despite the end of slavery 'in theory,' the oppression of black communities continued and transformed into new laws and policies forming a new system of enslavement through mass incarceration."</p> <p>Citing&nbsp;author Michelle Alexander&rsquo;s 2010 book,&nbsp;<em>The New Jim Crow: Mass Inc...</em></p> https://archinect.com/news/article/150203451/society-of-architectural-historians-supports-and-encourages-the-removal-of-confederate-monuments-from-public-spaces Society of Architectural Historians "supports and encourages the removal of Confederate monuments from public spaces" Antonio Pacheco 2020-06-19T17:53:00-04:00 >2020-06-24T12:30:57-04:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/4a/4a320bec75a3def5716897e9df8781aa.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><p>The Society of Architectural Historians (<a href="https://archinect.com/firms/cover/150163627/society-of-architectural-historians" target="_blank">SAH</a>) has issued a statement in support of the removal of <a href="https://archinect.com/news/tag/613372/confederate-memorial" target="_blank">Confederate monuments</a> in American public spaces following a concerted effort to rid memorial sites of these installations.&nbsp;</p> <p>The statement comes as the <a href="https://archinect.com/news/article/150203181/national-trust-for-historic-preservation-removal-of-confederate-monuments-from-public-places-is-justified" target="_blank">National Trust for Historic Preservation and other architecture groups express their own support</a> for the movement to remove these monuments.&nbsp;<br></p> <p>SAH's full statement, which was crafted by the group's&nbsp;Heritage Conservation Committee is printed in full below.&nbsp;</p> <p><em>The Society of Architectural Historians (SAH) supports and encourages the removal of Confederate monuments from public spaces. In its 80-year history, SAH has never before advocated for the direct removal of any historic resource, let alone listed monuments. As architectural historians committed to preserving significant elements of the built environment and cultural landscape, we have vigorously championed the preservation of difficult aspects of our nation&rsquo;s history such as Wounded Kne...</em></p> https://archinect.com/news/article/150203181/national-trust-for-historic-preservation-removal-of-confederate-monuments-from-public-places-is-justified National Trust for Historic Preservation: "Removal of Confederate monuments from public places is justified" Antonio Pacheco 2020-06-18T17:32:00-04:00 >2024-03-15T01:45:58-04:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/40/407a77ce525e0c9638ec9b30c72c6589.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><p>In the weeks since <a href="https://archinect.com/news/article/150200375/aia-noma-and-other-organizations-issue-statements-of-solidarity-with-black-community" target="_blank">nationwide protests in support of the Black Lives Matter movement</a> have erupted, dozens of monuments and statues celebrating the confederacy, Christopher Columbus, and other anti-Black and anti-Indigenous individuals and groups have been toppled across the country and around the world.&nbsp;</p> <p>Today, the <a href="https://archinect.com/firms/cover/18023295/national-trust-for-historic-preservation" target="_blank">National Trust for Historic Preservation</a> has issued a statement in support of these removal efforts, highlighting the fact that these monuments were originally erected "to glorify, promote, and reinforce white supremacy, overtly or implicitly."</p> <figure><p><a href="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/5b/5b43d9337ddc872330f1bc62adf2420e.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&amp;w=1028" target="_blank"><img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/5b/5b43d9337ddc872330f1bc62adf2420e.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&amp;w=514"></a></p><figcaption>Previously on Archinect: "<a href="https://archinect.com/news/article/150200375/aia-noma-and-other-organizations-issue-statements-of-solidarity-with-black-community" target="_blank">AIA, NOMA, and other organizations issue statements of solidarity with Black community</a>." Image credit and courtesy of Wikimedia user <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Burning_dumpster_at_George_Floyd_protests_in_Washington_DC,_Lafayette_Square.jpg" target="_blank">Rosa Pineda</a>.</figcaption></figure><p>The statement, one of several issued by the organization since the protests got underway, argues that the appropriateness of these monuments is no longer in question and that they should be removed to allow for their proper study and understanding in contexts outs...</p> https://archinect.com/news/article/150202627/michael-kimmelman-lobbies-aia-to-bar-architects-from-working-on-solitary-confinement-facilities Michael Kimmelman lobbies AIA to bar architects from working on solitary confinement facilities Antonio Pacheco 2020-06-15T13:01:00-04:00 >2020-06-19T15:37:05-04:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/96/96d141d26b898123a6af117a6f455cf6.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><em><p>But death chambers and many solitary confinement cells &mdash; they&rsquo;re officially called segregation units, not incidentally &mdash; are extreme cases. Architects should not contribute their expertise to the most egregious aspects of a system that commits exceptional violence against African-Americans and other minorities. The least the American Institute of Architects can do now is agree.</p></em><br /><br /><p><em>The New York Times</em> architecture critic <a href="https://archinect.com/news/tag/15010/michael-kimmelman" target="_blank">Michael Kimmelman</a> has penned a column highlighting the moral implications of having architects design solitary confinement and execution facilities. In the article, Kimmelman explores the American Institute of Architect's reluctance to take a positive stand against having architects design these facilities.</p> https://archinect.com/news/article/150201667/dap-design-justice-for-black-lives-initiative-seeks-to-streamline-professional-activism DAP: Design Justice for Black Lives initiative seeks to streamline professional activism Antonio Pacheco 2020-06-12T13:25:00-04:00 >2024-03-15T01:45:58-04:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/ae/ae480cc7df14478ecc32e0f44b253ca6.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><p>A new initiative focused on leveraging designers' "professional connections and privileges in the name of advancing justice" offers an easy and effective way of reaching professional organizations, leading architecture firms, political entities, and academic institutions via email.&nbsp;</p> <p>Hosted on the website of architecture and urban design studio <a href="https://archinect.com/firms/cover/150125541/colloqate" target="_blank">Colloqate</a>, the <a href="https://colloqate.org/design-justice-for-black-lives" target="_blank">DAP: Design Justice for Black Lives</a> initiative,&nbsp;which is aligned with the design justice movement and is undertaken in solidarity with the Movement of Black Lives, automatically generates email messages preloaded with contact information for industry and academic leaders that individuals can send out to advocate for change within the design fields. The effort is the latest installment of Colloqate's&nbsp;Design As Protest (<a href="https://colloqate.org/design-as-protest-01" target="_blank">DAP</a>) effort, an ongoing series of projects that instrumentalize "design as a means to speak out in support of the disinherited and marginalized communities" by exposing and working against the injustice, discrimina...</p> https://archinect.com/news/article/150202214/princeton-s-monica-ponce-de-leon-to-overcome-injustice-in-architecture-licensure-should-be-eliminated-or-radically-transformed Princeton's Monica Ponce de Leon: To overcome injustice in architecture, licensure should be "eliminated or radically transformed" Antonio Pacheco 2020-06-11T17:28:00-04:00 >2024-03-15T01:45:58-04:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/cd/cd477fa052e251b9c5b37f199b5e65b9.png?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><p><a href="https://archinect.com/princetonsoa" target="_blank">Princeton University</a> School of Architecture Dean <a href="https://archinect.com/features/tag/557284/monica-ponce-de-leon" target="_blank">Monica Ponce de Leon</a> has issued a statement on behalf of the school offering solidarity with the growing protest movement seeking social and economic justice for Black people in America.&nbsp;</p> <p>In a letter sent out to the Princeton SoA community, Ponce de Leon explains that "it is essential for us to acknowledge that the discipline of architecture and its institutions have always been complicit in social, economic, health, and environmental discrimination."&nbsp;</p> <figure><p><a href="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/56/56c3792661859576cb2845be7cff0210.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&amp;w=1028" target="_blank"><img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/56/56c3792661859576cb2845be7cff0210.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&amp;w=514"></a></p><figcaption>Previously on Archinect: "<a href="https://archinect.com/news/article/150200375/aia-noma-and-other-organizations-issue-statements-of-solidarity-with-black-community" target="_blank">AIA, NOMA, and other organizations issue statements of solidarity with Black community</a>." Courtesy of Wikimedia User <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Burning_dumpster_at_George_Floyd_protests_in_Washington_DC,_Lafayette_Square.jpg" target="_blank">Rosa Pineda</a>.</figcaption></figure><p>She adds, "Without this acknowledgement, we will be powerless to impact the grotesque structural injustice that Black Americans and other groups have been subjected to for far too long."</p> <p>Going further, Dean Ponce de Leon points to architecture's lengthy, complicated, and expensive educational and training system&mdash;and particularly, archi...</p> https://archinect.com/news/article/150202168/architect-provides-downloadable-black-lives-matter-street-mural-template-amid-cities-adding-the-piece-to-its-centers Architect provides downloadable "Black Lives Matter" street mural template amid cities adding the piece to its centers Sean Joyner 2020-06-11T12:33:00-04:00 >2021-10-12T01:42:58-04:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/33/334b0345a11b6e347e77218b3dcb3e4a.png?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><p>Following the now famous Black Lives Matter street mural in Washington D.C., activists later painted one in Oakland, California. This urban activism has garnered the attention of another city as well, Berkeley, <a href="https://www.berkeleyside.com/2020/06/08/berkeley-to-paint-black-lives-matter-mural-on-downtown-street" target="_blank">who plans to paint a new street mural</a> on Martin Luther King Jr. Way, in front of Old City Hall.&nbsp;</p> <p></p> <p>Berkely architect Yes Duffy was one of many participants who helped paint the Oakland mural and after learning his city was considering a mural, created a template that he sent to Berkeley's mayor and councilmembers, reports&nbsp;<em><a href="https://www.berkeleyside.com/2020/06/08/berkeley-to-paint-black-lives-matter-mural-on-downtown-street" target="_blank">Berkelyside</a>.</em></p> <p> </p> https://archinect.com/news/article/150202008/architecture-and-design-community-creates-pencils-down-protest-in-solidarity-with-movement-for-black-lives Architecture and design community creates "pencils down protest" in solidarity with Movement for Black Lives Sean Joyner 2020-06-10T13:09:00-04:00 >2020-06-10T18:52:20-04:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/b9/b97674b921233108f06bbe01530fa0a0.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><p>An unaffiliated group of architects, designers, theorists, urbanists, teachers, students, and built environment workers have joined together to spearhead a "<a href="https://www.pencilsdownprotest.com/" target="_blank">pencils down protest</a>" as an expression of solidarity with Black Lives Matter. "This moment demands a direct confrontation with architecture and design's participation in systemic racism," the group writes.</p> <p>The group sees the act of withholding labor as a form of protest. On their website <a href="https://www.pencilsdownprotest.com/" target="_blank">pencilsdownprotest.com</a>, those who desire to participate can pledge the amount of hours they are "willing and able" to withhold. Pledgers are encouraged to take action during their pencils down time. The group provides a <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dp6CIxYnOXUywy4Y7zY3ypoDQETYQcsX7D3T6LjMhV0/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">google doc link</a> to resources for those who need guidance.</p> <p>The protest takes place as a national&nbsp;<a href="https://www.shutdownstem.com/" target="_blank">#ShutDownSTEM</a> engages in a university and STEM-focused strike in support of the movement, as well.&nbsp;</p> https://archinect.com/news/article/150201657/buildings-matter-too-headline-controversy-leads-to-resignation-of-top-editor-at-the-philadelphia-inquirer “Buildings Matter, Too" headline controversy leads to resignation of top editor at The Philadelphia Inquirer Antonio Pacheco 2020-06-08T13:53:00-04:00 >2020-06-09T00:23:40-04:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/1c/1c805fd4308dd5376230ce1030732fc0.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><em><p>Stan Wischnowski, the top editor of The Philadelphia Inquirer, resigned on Saturday, days after an article with the headline &ldquo;Buildings Matter, Too,&rdquo; on the effects of civil unrest on the city&rsquo;s buildings, led to a walkout by dozens of staff members.</p></em><br /><br /><p>The inappropriate and offensive headline, conceived for <a href="https://archinect.com/news/article/150200813/interrogating-the-people-over-property-dichotomy" target="_blank">a column written by <em>The Philadelphia Inquirer</em> architecture critic Inga Saffron</a>, drew widespread condemnation from the public and journalists at the newspaper alike, and resulted in the newspaper's editors issuing a public apology for writing the headline. </p> I was glad to see <a href="https://twitter.com/PhillyInquirer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@PhillyInquirer</a> respond with this apology and explanation for the unfortunate headline that accompanied my column Tuesday. I am deeply sorry for the trauma it caused black people in Philly, and my black and brown newsroom colleagues. <a href="https://t.co/N5f5uusQhY" target="_blank">https://t.co/N5f5uusQhY</a><br>&mdash; Inga Saffron (@IngaSaffron) <a href="https://twitter.com/IngaSaffron/status/1268553951022022656?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">June 4, 2020</a> https://archinect.com/news/article/150201442/aia-board-of-directors-supports-the-protests-to-stop-systemic-state-sanctioned-violence-against-people-of-color-period AIA Board of Directors "supports the protests to stop systemic, state-sanctioned violence against people of color. Period." Antonio Pacheco 2020-06-05T18:39:00-04:00 >2020-06-09T17:20:55-04:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/e3/e34d36962d3292972c468785f98fa7b4.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><p>Following a somewhat lukewarm reception to <a href="https://archinect.com/news/article/150200375/aia-noma-and-other-organizations-issue-statements-of-solidarity-with-black-community" target="_blank">an initial statement</a> released over the weekend from <a href="https://archinect.com/news/tag/1495710/jane-frederick" target="_blank">AIA 2020 President Jane Frederick</a> touching on the recent days of anti-racism protests, the <a href="https://archinect.com/firms/cover/49568164/the-american-institute-of-architects" target="_blank">American Institute of Architects</a> Board of Directors has issued an in-depth follow-up letter indicating their own support for the movement.</p> <p>On Thursday, June 4, the AIA National Board of Directors issued the following&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aia.org/pages/6301167-aia-board-statement-on-systemic-racial-inj" target="_blank">statement</a>:</p> <p><em>To our members,</em></p> <p><em>America&rsquo;s list of racially motivated murders demand action. Eric Garner. Sandra Bland. Michael Brown. Shantel Davis. Atatiana Jefferson. Laquan McDonald. Tony McDade. Pamela Turner. Korryn Gaines. Trayvon Martin. Tamir Rice. Walter Scott. Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and George Floyd. All murdered, because they happened to be black in the United States of America. There are others, and, sadly, we know there will be more. No words can adequately express the depth of anger, frustration, and national shame for their loss or the more than 1,250 black lives ended ...</em></p> https://archinect.com/news/article/150201409/designing-justice-designing-spaces-on-unbuilding-racism Designing Justice + Designing Spaces on "unbuilding racism" Antonio Pacheco 2020-06-05T14:47:00-04:00 >2024-03-15T01:45:58-04:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/31/311c1d8bf31a098b6829a7c8c076c747.jpeg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><p>Community development non-profit <a href="https://archinect.com/firms/cover/150078043/designing-justice-designing-spaces" target="_blank">Designing Justice + Designing Spaces</a>&nbsp;(DJDS) has published a vision designed around the idea of "unbuilding racism" in light of the growing movement to abolish police and prisons that has garnered national attention in the wake of the <a href="https://archinect.com/news/article/150200375/aia-noma-and-other-organizations-issue-statements-of-solidarity-with-black-community" target="_blank">anti-racism and policy brutality protests</a> that are currently griping the United States.&nbsp;</p> <p>Writing in a Medium post, the group, which is led by Deanna Van Buren, explains that they are "grieving for the intolerable and constant deaths of black and brown people at the hands of the police, and all the other lives lost through the impacts of mass incarceration," adding, "This is why we are prison abolitionists."</p> <figure><p><a href="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/94/9421e89beb3fc903ddc74e5bf26a8657.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&amp;w=1028" target="_blank"><img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/94/9421e89beb3fc903ddc74e5bf26a8657.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&amp;w=514"></a></p><figcaption>Previously on Archinect: "<a href="https://archinect.com/features/article/150163426/architect-deanna-van-buren-on-designing-beautiful-spaces-that-amplify-self-care-love-restoration-and-respect" target="_blank">Architect Deanna Van Buren on Designing Beautiful Spaces That 'Amplify Self-Care, Love, Restoration, and Respect'</a>." The Designing Justice + Designing Spaces team with co-founders Kyle Rawlins and Deanna Van Buren third and fourth from the left. Photo by Oretola Thomas.</figcaption></figure><p>Speaking to competing de...</p> https://archinect.com/news/article/150200813/interrogating-the-people-over-property-dichotomy Interrogating the "people over property" dichotomy Antonio Pacheco 2020-06-03T18:43:00-04:00 >2020-06-11T19:31:04-04:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/10/10e20db12ea96b33576b61d358bd5cc1.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><em><p>Does the destruction of buildings matter when black Americans are being brazenly murdered in cold blood by police and vigilantes? That&rsquo;s the question that has been raging on the streets of Philadelphia, and across my architecture-centric social media feeds, over the last two days as a dark cloud of smoke spiraled up from Center City.</p></em><br /><br /><p><a href="https://archinect.com/news/tag/434848/inga-saffron" target="_blank">Inga Saffron</a>, architecture critic for <em>The Philadelphia Inquirer</em>, offers a nuanced look at the relationship between protest, property destruction, and economic development in under-invested areas in her latest column. The article comes as cities around the country grapple with <a href="https://archinect.com/news/article/150200375/aia-noma-and-other-organizations-issue-statements-of-solidarity-with-black-community" target="_blank">fierce protests seeking to force change</a> in how America's police departments treat African Americans and other people of color. The protests have included acts of vandalism and property destruction on the part of both demonstrators and police.</p> <p>Arguing that the destruction of buildings can have negative as well as provocative repercussions, Saffron writes, "You can be appalled and heartbroken by our country&rsquo;s deadly racism, and yet still quake at what the damage to downtown portends for Philadelphia. Racism is built on strong foundations. The momentary satisfaction of destroying a few buildings does nothing to remove those structures. All it does is weaken our city."</p> https://archinect.com/news/article/150200602/usc-dean-milton-s-f-curry-collectively-we-too-are-the-guardians-of-the-democratic-space-and-civic-imaginations USC Dean Milton S.F. Curry: "Collectively, we too are the guardians of the democratic space and civic imaginations" Antonio Pacheco 2020-06-03T12:40:00-04:00 >2024-03-15T01:45:58-04:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/2d/2de4cd66a3226799c61ffa519651dd93.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><p><a href="https://archinect.com/uscarchitecture" target="_blank">University of Southern California</a> School of Architecture Dean Milton S.F. Curry issued a <a href="https://arch.usc.edu/news/usc-school-of-architecture-deans-statement-on-protest-demonstrations" target="_blank">statement</a> today commenting on the ongoing racial justice-focused protests taking place nationwide.&nbsp;</p> <p>Curry's message comes as various architecture organizations and firms, including the American Institute of Architects and the National Organization of Minority Architects, <a href="https://archinect.com/news/article/150200375/aia-noma-and-other-organizations-issue-statements-of-solidarity-with-black-community" target="_blank">issue statements in support of the protests</a>.&nbsp;</p> <p>Dean Curry's letter is published in full here:</p> <p><em>We at the USC School of Architecture mourn the tragic, unnecessary, and avoidable loss of another life, that of George Floyd, in the hands of law enforcement in Minneapolis last week. We also affirm the power and meaning of thoughtful protest and civil disobedience in service of structural change for the betterment of all of our fellow Americans. We also reflect on the many lives of Black Americans that have been taken by the ravages of slavery and colonialism, abject violence in the form of beatings and lynchings, racial capitalism and ...</em></p> https://archinect.com/news/article/150200375/aia-noma-and-other-organizations-issue-statements-of-solidarity-with-black-community AIA, NOMA, and other organizations issue statements of solidarity with Black community Antonio Pacheco 2020-06-01T15:02:00-04:00 >2020-09-28T13:40:18-04:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/d7/d70eea13cea101aa2c73a2d7638eeb17.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><p>Over the weekend as courthouses, monuments, business districts, and public spaces around the country became backdrops to fierce protests seeking justice for the killings of Minneapolis resident George Floyd and other Black Americans at the hands of police, a collection of architecture, design, and built environment groups issued memos commenting on the volatile situation.&nbsp;</p> American Institute of Architects <p>The American Institute of Architects (<a href="https://archinect.com/firms/cover/49568164/the-american-institute-of-architects" target="_blank">AIA</a>) published <a href="https://www.aia.org/press-releases/6299362-everyone-deserves-universal-respect-and-hu?utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_campaign=daily" target="_blank">a statement</a> from <a href="https://archinect.com/news/tag/1495710/jane-frederick" target="_blank">AIA 2020 President Jane Frederick</a> calling for "universal respect and human dignity" in the face of racial injustice.&nbsp;</p> <p>Frederick wrote:&nbsp;</p> <p><em>"As Americans, we are mindful of this nation&rsquo;s dark history of racial inequality. We are appalled by any actions that further threaten the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aia.org/resources/50766-where-architects-stand-a-statement-of-our-va" target="_blank">universal respect and human dignity that everyone deserves</a>. As architects, we remain committed to advancing civil rights protections, fair housing policies, and accessibility in the built world to help achieve the more perfect union we all see...</em></p> https://archinect.com/news/article/149984196/as-president-obama-leaves-the-white-house-a-closer-look-at-his-urban-policy-legacy As President Obama leaves the White House, a closer look at his urban policy legacy Alexander Walter 2016-12-30T18:04:00-05:00 >2017-01-04T22:44:06-05:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/td/tdc8pzpgd1e3h2pc.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><em><p>City residents and urbanists had reasons to believe Obama would usher in a new urban era. [...] Now, as he leaves the White House, Obama&rsquo;s legacy is being evaluated on many fronts, including within the realm of urban policy. In a new book called Urban Policy in the Time of Obama, academics appraise his successes and failures. CityLab spoke with the book&rsquo;s editor, James DeFillippis, an associate professor in the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University.</p></em><br /><br /><p>Related stories in the Archinect news:</p><ul><li><a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/145653004/what-does-president-obama-s-final-year-in-office-mean-for-architecture" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">What does President Obama's final year in office mean for architecture?</a></li><li><a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/145139292/black-lives-matter-and-the-politics-of-protesting-in-privatized-space" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Black Lives Matter and the politics of protesting in privatized space</a></li><li><a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/149955229/tod-williams-billie-tsien-architects-selected-to-design-the-obama-presidential-center" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects selected to design the Obama Presidential Center</a></li></ul> https://archinect.com/news/article/149969926/david-adjaye-on-designing-a-museum-that-speaks-a-different-language David Adjaye on Designing a Museum That Speaks a Different Language b3tadine[sutures] 2016-09-22T00:11:00-04:00 >2018-01-30T06:16:04-05:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/yn/ynoanx0ygsy8wf1u.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><em><p>I was completely moved by the corona motif. It seemed like a way to start to tell a story that moves from one continent, where people were taken, along with their cultures, and used as labor, then contributed towards making another country and new cultures. That history then continues in the decorative patterning of those panels.</p></em><br /><br /><p><img title="" alt="" src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/650x/su/suo8imo4pwpoycug.jpg"><br><br><img title="" alt="" src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/650x/g9/g9usn5x2zp1xonr3.jpg"></p><p>Adjaye.</p> https://archinect.com/news/article/149957644/carrying-a-racist-legacy-highways-today-play-a-central-role-in-civil-rights-activism Carrying a racist legacy, highways today play a central role in civil rights activism Nicholas Korody 2016-07-13T12:59:00-04:00 >2019-01-05T12:31:03-05:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/ck/ck8zlc5bp7z3q092.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><em><p>Block a highway, and you upend&nbsp;the economic life of a city, as well as the spatial logic that has long allowed people to pass through them without encountering their poverty or problems.&nbsp;Block a highway, and you command&nbsp;a lot more attention than would a rally outside a church or city hall &mdash; from traffic helicopters, immobile commuters, alarmed officials.</p></em><br /><br /><p>The article notes that, historically, highway construction decimated black communities, such as in St. Paul, Minneapolis, Baltimore, Oakland, and many other cities. In New York, Robert Moses explicitly used highways to clear "slums," in the process devastating parts of the Bronx and other black neighborhoods.</p><p>Highways were also used as weapons in the arsenal of segregation. For example in Chicago, Mayor Richard Daley separated traditionally white Irish neighborhoods from black communities in the South Side with the Dan Ryan Expressway.</p><p>Today, highways carry additional symbolic weight for Black Lives Matter protestors. Many of the black men killed by police over the past few years &ndash; Philando Castile, for example &ndash; were stopped in routine traffic checks.</p><p>Infrastructure also has symbolic resonance in the larger history of the civil rights movement. The article mentions as examples the Selma March, the Freedom Rides, and Rosa Park's refusal to sit at the back of a public bus.</p><p>For more on th...</p> https://archinect.com/news/article/145139292/black-lives-matter-and-the-politics-of-protesting-in-privatized-space Black Lives Matter and the politics of protesting in privatized space Nicholas Korody 2016-01-08T15:15:00-05:00 >2018-01-30T06:16:04-05:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/fl/fllfk01n0ne5gwhs.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><em><p>Mall of America&rsquo;s ability to so zealously suppress the December 23 [Black Lives Matter] protest there highlights how, in a nation where more and more public life takes place in privatized spaces, the ability to exercise First Amendment rights has become increasingly contingent... Legal arguments that free political speech should be allowed at malls center around the idea that the shopping center has replaced the town square as a place where opinions can be heard and exchanged.</p></em><br /><br /><p><strong>Related:</strong></p><ul><li><a title="Taking a stand against privately-owned public spaces" href="http://archinect.com/news/article/133486545/taking-a-stand-against-privately-owned-public-spaces" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Taking a stand against privately-owned public spaces</a></li><li><p><a title="For in that death of malls, what dreams may come? Archinect Sessions #32, featuring special guest co-host, Nam Henderson!" href="http://archinect.com/news/article/128736686/for-in-that-death-of-malls-what-dreams-may-come-archinect-sessions-32-featuring-special-guest-co-host-nam-henderson" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">For in that death of malls, what dreams may come? Archinect Sessions #32, featuring special guest co-host, Nam Henderson!</a></p></li><li><p><a title="NY Mayor de Blasio's Times Square overhaul runs into massive opposition" href="http://archinect.com/news/article/135027032/ny-mayor-de-blasio-s-times-square-overhaul-runs-into-massive-opposition" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">NY Mayor de Blasio's Times Square overhaul runs into massive opposition</a></p></li></ul>