‘Civic Space in Scattered Cities’ symposium explores urban sprawl in contemporary Europe

‘Civic Space in Scattered Cities’ symposium explores urban sprawl in contemporary EuropeMarch 12, 2009Mary Kate O’Brienmcobrien@syr.edu

The School of Architecture at Syracuse University in Florence and the Observatory on Architecture of the Targetti Foundation, in collaboration with Istituto degli Innocenti and Osservatorio Arte Contemporanea Ente CRF, will present the symposium “Civic Space in Scattered Cities” on Wednesday, March 25, at the Salone Brunelleschi, Istituto degli Innocenti in Florence. The event explores the possibilities for generating civic identity in the sprawl of contemporary Europe. The lack of cultural spaces that serve this widespread development presents one of the most challenging, yet least considered, problems in social management and design.

The day will include presentations and a round table discussion by architects and urbanists, who will introduce projects and strategies for public spaces that address this critical issue. Among the participants:

• Winy Maas is one of the co-founding directors of MVRDV. Maas’ current projects include a master plan for Greater Paris; a mixed-use development in Tirana, Albania; a bank’s headquarters building in Oslo; and a market hall in Rotterdam. Currently a visiting professor of architectural design at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he is a professor in architecture and urban design in the faculty of architecture at Delft University of Technology.

• Teddy Cruz is recognized internationally for his work with community-based nonprofit organizations such as Casa Familiar for their research and work on housing and its relationship to alternative land use policies, modes of sociability and economic processes. He is currently an associate professor in public culture and urbanism in the Visual Arts Department at the University of California at San Diego.

• Margaret Crawford is a professor of urban planning and design theory at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design. Her principal area of research and writing is focused on the nature and status of public space in the contemporary built environment. Her writing focuses on “suburban life and public space” and includes work on shopping mall architect John Jerde and the widely read article “The World in a Shopping Mall.”

The symposium is organized by Pino Brugellis, an architect and head of the Observatory on Architecture in Florence; Richard Ingersoll, professor at the Syracuse Architecture program in Florence; and Lawrence Davis, a professor at the Syracuse University School of Architecture and coordinator of the Syracuse Architecture program in Florence.

Syracuse University School of Architecture is the fourth-oldest program in the United States and is consistently rated among the top architecture schools in the country. The school’s undergraduate program was recently ranked fourth in the nation by DesignIntelligence. As part of its Global Campus Studies, the school offers programs in Florence, London and New York City.

For more information, visit http://soa.syr.edu.