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星期一, 4月 27, 2015

City of Boston, BRA, and Boston Society of Architects to hold Innovative Design Alternatives Summit on May 6 and 7

City of Boston, BRA, and Boston Society of Architects to hold Innovative Design Alternatives Summit on May 6 and 7
Thought leaders to convene on Mayor Walsh’s challenge for innovative design

BOSTON – Next week, the City of Boston, the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA), and Boston Society of Architects (BSA) will bring together designers, community leaders, developers, city officials, and academics in a unique two-day event called IDeAS: Innovative Design Alternatives Summit. The summit, set to take place at Faneuil Hall and BSA Space on May 6 and 7, is intended to jumpstart the conversation about enhancing design and architecture in Boston through an inclusive, interactive visioning process. The events are free and open to the public, and interested attendees are encouraged to register for one or both days.

The summit emerged in response to a challenge Mayor Martin J. Walsh issued in his December speech to the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce. At the time, the Mayor observed, “Boston is home to the world’s most innovative thinkers – in science and technology, and in business, art, and architecture. Our City’s built environment should reflect this culture of imagination. Too often, in recent decades, new buildings have been merely functional. I believe Boston can do better.” He encouraged developers and designers to “reach beyond your comfort zone” and “take design to a new level” to build inspiration into Boston’s landscape.  

IDeAS will open with remarks from Mayor Walsh at an afternoon plenary session focused on design at Faneuil Hall on May 6 at 3:00 p.m. The summit will then transition to BSA Space on May 7, where a daylong series of interactive panels will bring thought leaders together to discuss a variety of topics related to Boston’s identity, economy, open space, environment, and, of course, buildings. The group hopes to begin a robust conversation about how innovative design, broadly speaking, can enhance the quality of life for people in Boston.

The event is expected to draw an array of influential leaders in architecture and design, including Andrea Leers, co-founder and principal at Leers Weinzapfel Associates, Bill Rawn, founding principal of William Rawn Associates, and Francine Houben, founder and creative director at the Dutch firm Mecanoo, which helped design the newly opened Bruce C. Bolling Municipal Building in Dudley Square. Major developers, community leaders, and city officials will help round out the panels, making sure that the discussion is informed by diverse perspectives. By having such a wide cross-section of stakeholders represented, organizers of the summit hope to underscore the level of collaboration that is needed to foster design excellence throughout the city.

“The Mayor’s remarks in December were a clear call for all of us in the development and design communities to step up our game,” said BRA Director Brian Golden. “People are already beginning to embrace the notion that taking a bit of risk isn’t just acceptable, it’s expected. I’m excited to see a fruitful discussion about the future of architecture and design unfold at IDeAS. We couldn’t ask for a better partner and host than the Boston Society of Architects, and I thank all of the participants and sponsors for coming together around this important topic.”

BRA board member and President Emeritus of Boston Architectural College Ted Landsmark was a driving force behind organizing the summit. Autodesk, which makes design software and recently announced that it will open a new office in Boston, The Boston Foundation, and BSA Foundation are sponsoring the event.

The agenda for May 7 includes the following six panels:

Who We Are
How do we best respond to Boston’s emerging demographics? This session will discuss how design helps us to integrate Boston’s diversity into the fabric of the city, neighborhood identity, historic preservation, culture, entertainment, and sports. How do we describe ourselves to those who do not know Boston?

How We Grow
This panel will address how design enhances economic development, regionalization, transportation, transit-oriented development, and infrastructure. What is our plan for smart growth? How can big data and the overlap between design and planning be used to inform our process and to assess our needed resources?

How and Where We Live
This panel will explore housing, equity, affordability, and design in a global environment. How do we ensure affordability to attract and retain a middle-class economic base? How do we design intelligently across generations and for individuals with disabilities? What are the possible effects on housing and transportation of Boston’s bid to host the 2024 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games?

Creating Common Ground
Open space can support place-making, facilitate way-finding, and enhance community and cultural identity. How do we explore design solutions that work in harmony to support the public good? This panel discussion will address accessibility, design interventions for health and safety, neighborhood needs and scale, and how innovative design enhances the experience of the city. What can we achieve using civic technology and big data to better understand how we live and play?

How We Survive in our Environment
How do form, materials, technology, energy management, sustainability and resiliency affect planning the built environment? This session will tackle morphology and form, innovative technologies, construction practices, and design tools, energy management strategies, and climate change and design opportunities. How do we engage and experience the city through digital interfaces?

How We Share Resources
As we engage communities in design, we must consider how regionalization and infrastructure needs as well as alternative financing mechanisms can foster equitable access to economic development resources. How do we assess community and cultural benefits from design interventions?


About the Boston Redevelopment Authority
As the City of Boston’s urban planning and economic development agency, the BRA works in partnership with the community to plan Boston's future while respecting its past. The agency’s passionate and knowledgeable staff guides physical, social, and economic change in Boston’s neighborhoods and its downtown to shape a more prosperous, sustainable, and beautiful city for all. The BRA also prepares residents for new opportunities through employment training, human services and job creation. Learn more at www.bostonredevelopmentauthority.org, and follow us on Twitter @BostonRedevelop.

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