Where were the planners?
This post is a few weeks after the fact but the recent APA conference only solidified my resolution to say something. In early April Teddy Cruz gave a lecture here in Philly at the School of Design. For those of you not familiar with his work, he has a unique and thoughtful perspective on the relationships between culture, planning and design.
His hour + lecture described the informal economies that have evolved between San Diego and Tijuana while categorizing how the two cities directly and indirectly influence one another. Although an architect, very little of the presentation focused on form. It was instead a lecture on what inspired him as a designer. Interestingly, what emerges from his reading of the region in which he works is a dire need for regional planning as well as new tools to address informal economies (what i might call micro-planning).
I went to the lecture because I wanted to see him speak about his work and his process beyond what I could discern from the articles I've read. But I also went because I've been making a concerted effort to attend lectures sponsored by all departments in the School of Design. What hit me noticeably about the Teddy Cruz lecture was the absence of planners. Now this is not an issue just with planners as I rarely see architects at planning lectures either. (and before you ask, i don't expect planners and architects to wear a shirt with a big "P" or "A" on it to identify themselves but having worked here a long time and with connections to Penn, I am confident in my perceptions).
Is this an issue in tone? If I can over-generalize (and i will here), the vast majority of planning lectures have focused more on the City as a problem to solve. The flip side as represented by many lectures in architecture and landscape architecture has an emphasis more on the City as inspiration. Two very different, but equally important aspects of cities to take into account. What's interesting in a lecture like Teddy Cruz's as well as a growing body of international work is that the inspiration often derives from a very pragmatic response to real problems. It would be wonderful if we could better bridge the chasm between professions which I don't think is as conceptually far apart as the attendance at lectures suggests.
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Latino Planners at the APA Conference!
The 2007 American Planning Conference was a great success for Latinos in urban planning. A large number of Latinos from all over the country were in attendance, and this was the first conference that held a session entitled Hispanic-Latino Communities and Urban Spaces which focused on the opportunities and challenges facing Latinos and the built environment. The session was very well attended, especially by young Latino planners and students, and demonstrates the growth or interest of Latinos in the urban planning profession.
The session was facilitated by Irayda M. Ruiz, AICP, of Virginia Commonwealth University, and brought together scholars and planning practitioners from across the country to discuss how Latino communities use urban space. Cecilia Giusti of Texas A&M University presented on issues surrounding "colonias," or informal housing developments along the US/Mexico border. Michael Rios of Pennsylvania State University examined the community participation process for the BART station in San Francisco's Mission District.
My presentation was from my masters thesis entitled the “Enacted Environment: The Creation of Place by Mexican and Mexican Americans in East Los Angeles”. This research examined how Latinos are transforming the built environment by their use of streets, sidewalks and other public space. Latinos bring a rich use of public life to LA and these phenomena can be seen by the way they retrofit the urban design of the streets. As Latino immigrants and native-born Mexican Americans citizens settle into Los Angeles, they bring with them different use of urban space to an already existing built environment. Their homes, ciudades, pueblos, and ranchos in Latin America are structured differently both physically and socially than the American suburb. Street vendors carrying their wares, pushing carts or setting up temporary tables, vivid colors, murals and business signs, clusters of people socializing on street corners and over front yard fences, and the furniture and props that make these front yards into personal statements all contribute to the vivid, unique landscape of the city.
While architects focus on buildings, urban planners focus on the community land use, and policy. All of the presentations at the conference focused on community issues from crossing the street to building a home. They also illustrate the changing landscape of the American city. The presentation cover diverse locations and situations but the issues facing Latinos were the same. How do we engage Latinos in the planning process and develop policies that promote, protect and enhance our Latino communities.
The Latino Urban Forum (LUF), is a volunteer group of Latino urban planners and community activist that are working on these local land use and transportation policies in Los Angeles County. Our mission is to improve the quality of life and sustainability of Latino communities in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. LUF partners with communities through public education and dialogue, the provision of technical assistance and capacity building, and advocacy on such critical urban issues as planning, land use and the environment and their effects on health and culture. We have been successful in lobbying for millions of dollars in transportation, open space and other projects that benefit the community.
Latino urban planners across the country are moving into positions of power where they can impact funding and policies that help our Latino communities. American cities are facing great economic, environmental and social changes and as Latinos we will help in understanding or influencing these transitions. APA's Latinos and Planning Division can be part of this great change.
Visit us at www.latinourbanforum.org
Columbia as well
This is also a problem at Columbia, and our dean has taken up a personal mission to encourage more cross-fertalization. Still, I rarely see architects in our lectures and the few times I have crossed the line myself I have been the only planner in the audience. I try to attend every lecture with a topic interesting to me. When I do go to an architecture lecture, I find that the discourse requires a lot of adjustment, as if they were halfway speaking a different language, even if the topic is one that could have been covered in a planning lecture.
Similar issues here in Michigan
Hi Scott,
Your observations are very similar to those that I have made here at the University of Michigan. Though we share the same building, facilities, and even some classes, the chasm between planners and designers is quite noticeable. In a recent interview that I did for Planetizen, I raised this issue with the chair of our planning program and the dean of the college. I think their answers shed some light on the issue. I think we can all agree that a little more cross-fertilization between the disciplines would be very healthy.