Lamar Anderson tells the story of architect Chris Downey, who lost his eyesight six years ago but has persevered in his career first as a consultant and then as the lead architect for the new Independent Living Resource Center of San Francisco.
Anderson's article examines Downey's unique history, about how he became blind, his decision to continue his career in a visually-oriented field, and the challenges he encountered along the way. Then there was the serendipity that solved process challenges. For instance:
- "With a good bit of tinkering, Downey and his trainer got it to print floor plans from PDFs. It was a lucky fluke. The PDF format is common currency in the architecture profession, and having a piece of technology that could read it meant he could participate without asking anyone to adopt another technology."
- Downey uses "brightly colored wax sticks" as "an informal tool for sketching on top of working plans."
After discovering such enabling process refinements (and more), Downey also found a niche in the architecture business—one that provided a robust consulting practice, even during the recession: "Far from being unemployable, Downey found himself in possession of a rare combination of skills. Here were two groups that had little in common: blind people and the hypervisual architects who design spaces. In the Venn diagram linking them, Downey was a set of one."
The long read article includes a lot of more details about how Downey's experiences with blindness have changed his perception of space in a way that benefits not only the blind, but others with special needs that might be inadequately addressed by the Americans with Disabilities Act (or, for that matter, how well ADA requirements are implemented and enforced by the design and construction industries).
FULL STORY: How a San Francisco Architect Reframes Design for the Blind

Rethinking Redlining
For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

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

California High-Speed Rail's Plan to Right Itself
The railroad's new CEO thinks he can get the project back on track. The stars will need to align this summer.

A Park Reborn: Resilience and Renewal in Fire-Stricken Altadena
Rebuilt in just two months after the devastating Eaton Fire, Loma Alta Park now stands as a symbol of community resilience and renewal, even as some residents hope recovery efforts will continue to support housing stability and long-term equity.

Spain Moves to Ban 66,000 Airbnbs
The national government is requiring the short-term rental operator to remove thousands of illegal listings from its site as part of an effort to stem a growing housing crisis.

Raleigh Launches Greenway Food Truck Pilot to Enhance Park Experiences
Raleigh’s new Greenway Food Truck Pilot Program brings local food vendors to popular greenway locations to enhance park experiences, support small businesses, and encourage community use of public spaces.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Clovis
City of Moorpark
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions