Lesson From WTC Rebuidling: Architecture Matters!

Although development in the U.S. typically treats architecture as an afterthought, writes John King, the WTC is proving that architecture matters.

1 minute read

August 6, 2002, 5:00 AM PDT

By Chris Steins @planetizen

"But as New Yorkers debate what should happen where the World Trade Center once stood, people are saying they want bold design in the mix from the start. They want to 'reclaim the skyline,' a phrase you hear a lot in Manhattan right now. They also want it to swing... One person who says architecture and planning don't mix is Alexander Garvin, chief planner for the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, the agency created last fall to oversee reconstruction. 'You get horrific results when a planner tries to do architecture, or when a designer tries to plan,' says Garvin, author of 'The American City: What Works, What Doesn't,' a classic look at urban planning. 'They are very different languages and activities.'"

Thanks to Chris Steins

Read the full story: Lofty battles at the WTC

Sunday, August 4, 2002 in The San Francisco Chronicle

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