City as Place

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.

Building on the work initiated by AIGA New York’s ArtPlace America-funded Design / Relief project, City as Place investigates the ways in which civic innovators turn to design and the arts as instrumental components of development that transform cities into attractive destinations. This roundtable will ask whether long-term creative hubs, popup galleries, and short-term public space programming are truly successful in attracting talented people, expanding economic possibility, and creating desirable, equitable neighborhoods that provide enjoyment and opportunity for all.

Participants
James Sanders, director, Seaport Cultural District
Anthony Nelson, associate creative director, Howard Hughes Corp.
Catherine Hughes, president, Community Board 1
Melissa Levin, director of cultural programs, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council
Jamie Bennett, executive director, ArtPlace America

Moderator
Laetitia Wolff, AIGA/NY program director, civic initiatives

Image
Catch and Release website, designed by Yeju Choi for Design/Relief