Urban Design Lab Director Richard Plunz published “Coming of Age in the Age of Moses,” dedicated to the Urban Renewal in New York City from 1950 to 1980. The book New York Rising is a history of the city real estate development including speculation, innovation and risks that collectively shaped the city. The source for… read more

On October 10 the Urban Design Lab (UDL) was an important presence to the celebration of the 125th Street Business Improvement District 25th year anniversary. The work of the pilot Columbia SPS summer course on Sustainable Urbanization was displayed at the BID’s Annual Meeting. The projects included design proposals from Morningside Drive to the Hudson… read more

The Summer High School Pilot Program “Sustainable Urbanization: New Designs for the Future City” ended on July 13th with a final presentation to the CEO of Harlem’s 125th Street Business Improvement District, Barbara Askins; the Columbia VP for Communication Victoria Benitez; Community Board 9 representatives; local architects, and education professionals. The students researched bridges between… read more

On December 8th the Urban Design Lab celebrated 10 years of research pushing the frontiers of urban innovation and interdisciplinary boundaries. There was acknowledgment of meaningful partnerships all over the world, and optimism about further collaborations. In a festive and warm atmosphere colleagues and partners from various professional backgrounds came together at Steelcase on Columbus… read more

January 12, 2011, marked the first anniversary of the Haiti earthquake that claimed some 250,000 victims and stunned the world. With the goal of helping the rebuilding effort, Richard Gonzalez participated as a juror in an international housing competition organized by the American Institute of Architects New York Chapter (AIANY) Global Dialogues Committee’s Haitian Housing… read more