City as Ecology

As part of the Making the City exhibition, AIGA/NY has organized a series of panel discussions exploring different ways in which New York City is made—and remade—through design. In these discussions, we will talk about how the role of the designer is also made anew. Because design for civic projects is often shared between organizations and disciplines, the designer cannot operate only as a visual form-giver at the end of a pre-established process. In addition, we are moving away from uni-directional awareness campaigns and towards designing the experience of the city itself. 

Each of the three panel discussions looks at a specific framing of context at a time when advances in  technology, engineering, and social movements have reimagined our conceptions of New York City. City as Ecology discusses how New York City’s challenging ecology can provide a springboard for design solutions that address both social and environmental concerns. Large, complex projects prompt discussion of an expanded notion of design, across process, collaboration, and implementation.

Panelists
Gena Wirth, Design Principal, SCAPE Landscape Architecture
Dong-Ping Wong, Design Director, +POOL/Family
Gwen Schantz, COO, Brooklyn Grange

Moderator
Manuel Miranda, AIGA/NY Board Vice President