During the conclusion of a recent charrette in Jackson, Mississippi, Andres Duany advised redevelopment and placemaking as the most important strategy for the struggling area.
"A renowned 'new urbanism' expert told a Jackson crowd gathered to hear about the LeFleur Lakes flood-control and development project Monday night, that their downtown is in dire need of development."
"Since coming to town, Andres Duany, an architect with Miami-based Duany Plater-Zyberk and Co., has spent much of his time at the Mississippi Telecommunications Conference and Training Center, where the meeting was held."
"'I just spent about nine days in this building. I love this building,' he told the crowd. 'The spaces are incredibly generous. The air conditioning system is perfectly adjustable.'"
"But next came the caveat.
"'I do not think that this building ... is going to do very well unless you get yourself a city to go around it,' Duany said, prompting applause from the audience, which included politicians, developers, architects and others."
