 The Boston Society of Architects, in partnership with a range of other national and regional organizations, will present Density: Myth and Reality on September 12-14, in Boston, Massachusetts. This national conference, intended for designers, planners, public officials, developers, and journalists, will challenge attendees to consider whether Americans can translate their resentment of the consequences of sprawl into a willingness to embrace density. Additionally, it will showcase facts and perspectives about building, working and living in higher-density communities. Leading national theorists and practitioners will address the topic through case studies, workshops, keynote addresses, a panel of national journalists, and tours.
The main conference program will follow a two-day pre-conference entitled DensityThe New American Dream? Organized by the American Institute of Architects committees on Housing and Regional and Urban Design, the pre-conference will explore the role that density can play in articulating a new American Dream through (1) a visit to Bostons Big Dig project, (2) workshops on visualizing, introducing and measuring urban density, (3) a keynote address presenting density in a context compatible with the U.S. market, and (4) a panel discussion on the theory and practice of density.
The three-day density conference will begin with the announcement of winners of an international density design competition at an opening reception on the evening of Friday, Sept. 12. Announced earlier this year, the competition challenges entrants to design communities that balance density and livability at one of three sites that are emblematic of key mixed-use development opportunities throughout the Boston area. These include (1) the disposition of found land over the Massachusetts Turnpike in Bostons downtown Chinatown neighborhood; (2) under-used land adjacent to the commuter rail station in downtown Gloucester, Mass.; and (3) underdeveloped land in Westwood, Mass., a growing suburban community with good commuter rail service and regional highway access.
The Saturday program will consist of workshops (topics: Design, Development, Housing Affordability, Transportation, Neighborhoods, Sustainability, Land Use and the Costs of Sprawl, Urban Economic Competitiveness, Smart Growth and Density, Historic Preservation and Density, and Race), case studies (communities: Arlington, Va.; Birmingham, Ala.; Chicago; Cleveland; Houston; Miami; New York; Portland, Ore.; and San Diego), a keynote address by former Maryland Governor Parris Glendening on The Political Reality of Myths About Density, and a bus tour of Bostons Seaport District and Washington Street corridor.
The conference will conclude on Sunday, September 14 with a panel discussion among nationally respected journalists on the topic of popular American misconceptions regarding urban density. Online registration for the conference will begin on Monday, June 2, 2003. For more information, visit www.architects.org/density.
|
