Hip Hop Architecture Camp Connects D.C. Youth to Futures in Urban Planning

D.C. youth collaborate with local hip hop artists to create planning inspired music video.

1 minute read

April 23, 2019, 10:00 AM PDT

By Lee Flannery @leecflannery


The inaugural session of Hip Hop Architecture Camp, founded by architectural designer Michael Ford, culminated in February with the release of a song and music video crafted by camp participants. "A dozen D.C. middle school students—aged 11 to 13—attended the camp, which took place at the American Institute of ArchitectsDistrict Architecture Center in Penn Quarter," reports Andrew Giambrone. The group utilized the expertise of local design professionals and developed an understanding of "how to sketch and create 3D models using Tinkercad, an online design tool."

With the goal of introducing D.C. youth to architecture and urban planning, campers collaborated with Richmond, Virginia native and rapper Destiny Da Chef to compose and record lyrics to be judged by Howard University students. Their verses tackled themes of gentrification, a lack of diversity within the field, and the students' own personal ties to the city. "Ford wrote the hook," notes Giambrone, "an allusion to the relatively small number of licensed African-American architects in the U.S.: 'Build it up / 2 percent / That ain't what up / We gotta find a way.'"

Thanks to funding from organizations including the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards, Hip Hop Architecture Camp is free to youth and offers several week-long intensives in cities across the United States in 2019.

Monday, March 25, 2019 in Curbed Washington D.C.

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight