Following last week’s look at an opening for a Robotics Fabrication Lab Manager at the New York Institute of Technology, we are using our Job Highlights series this week to explore an open position on Archinect Jobs for a Project Manager at site design group.

The role, based in Chicago, calls for an individual to serve as a “municipal consultant” for the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT)’s Streetscape and Sustainable Design Program, responsible for managing streetscape design projects in collaboration with the public body. Among the qualifications requested for candidates are degrees in landscape architecture, architecture, or a related field, as well as three or more years of professional experience.

Why the role interests us

In recent years, our editorial has featured several instances of private design firms engaging with Departments of Transportation, and the streets and spaces under their jurisdiction. In October, it was announced that Swedish company Skanska was to lead the NYC Department of Transportation’s $150 million rehabilitation and reconstruction of the Williamsburg Bridge, while last month, the NYC DOT put forward its own proposal to make Grand Army Plaza a car-free space to connect with surrounding streets.

In Chicago, meanwhile, site design group have themselves amassed a history of engaging with city officials on public projects. In 2021, the firm partnered with SOM, TranSystems, and authorities including the CDOT on a major overhaul of one of the city’s oldest train stations. The firm is also serving on the landscape architecture team for the ongoing Obama Presidential Center; a project which was itself the subject of our Job Highlights series this month.

Despite such collaborations, some have questioned whether Departments of Transportation are the most effective bodies to oversee the development of urban streetscapes. Last year, in a feature article on the management of public spaces in New York City, we covered one advocacy group who were calling for the creation of an Office of Public Space Management to fill what they perceived as a lack in people-centric design considerations by the city’s Department of Transportation and Department of Sanitation.

Further reading for interested candidates

• Chicago unveils first city framework plan in more than 50 years and seeks public input (August 2022)
• An installation at the Chicago Architecture Biennial challenges private property through a decentralized commons (December 2021)
• Private Interests and the Public Good: Could an Office of Public Space Management Fix New York’s Chaotic and Unfriendly Public Realm? (August 2021)
• Beyond the Street: ODA Proposes a Zoning Regulation To Expand the Public Space in New York (July 2021)
• SOM and TranSystems reimagine one of Chicago's oldest and busiest train stations (June 2021)
• Archinect’s ongoing coverage of public space design
• site design group’s Archinect profile
• Archinect Tips: Employment Edition (November 2020)

Job Highlights is one of a number of ongoing weekly series showcasing the opportunities available on our industry-leading job board. Our Meet Your Next Employer profiles and interviews interesting studios with open positions currently available on Archinect Jobs, while our weekly roundups curate job opportunities by location, career level, and job description.