Please join us for Design Conversation 21: FESTIVALS at Artscape!

Saturday July 17th 2010
Charles Street Garage (across from the Charles Theatre) – 1714 N Charles Street
7:30 PM – 9:00 PM

Design Conversation 21 will feature Karin Bacon. Karin Bacon began her career as Festival Director for the City of New York, where she originated citywide celebrations such as the New Year’s Eve fireworks in Central Park, and July 4th in Lower Manhattan. She went on to produce celebrations, parties, and promotions for audiences as diverse as the thousands of kids at the Bronx Zoo and the chosen few who could get in the door at Studio 54. Since forming her own company in 1981, Bacon has created a broad range of events for clients from the worlds of fashion, architecture, finance, media, retail, entertainment, and real estate, known for their theatricality, imagination, and high production values.

Design Conversations are open to the public and are loosely curated by volunteers around a series of topics related to design, art, architecture, cities, and anything else that is on your mind. They are made possible by the generous support of Baltimore Community Foundation and D:center Baltimore.

Questions? ben.stone(at)gmail.com | www.dcenterbaltimore.com

Please join us for Design Conversation #20: Public Art (part 2) this Wednesday evening at the Windup Space. 
 
Panelists for Design Conversation 20 include:

-Angela Adams, Public Art Administrator, Arlington Cultural Affairs
-Cathy Byrd, Executive Director, Maryland Art Place
-Jann Rosen-Queralt, Baltimore City Public Art Commission

Wednesday June 2nd 2010
The Windup Space – 12 W North Ave @ Charles Street
6:30 pm – 9:00 pm
 
Design Conversations are monthly events held the first Wednesday of every month at the Windup Space (12 W. North Ave.) at 6:30 pm. These events are open to the public and are loosely curated by volunteers around a series of topics related to design, art, architecture, cities, and anything else that is on your mind. Cash bar and A/V hookup available.
 
Design Conversations are made possible by the generous support of Baltimore Community Foundation and D:center Baltimore.
 
Questions?    ben.stone (at) gmail.com  |  www.dcenterbaltimore.com

@ Open Space
2720 Sisson Street
Baltimore, MD

Speedism is the duo Julian Friedauer (Germany), and Pieterjan Ginckels
(Belgium). Speedism works at the borders of architecture, architectural
theory, visual arts, visual theory, urban tactics, imagineering, and
scriptwriting. As visual artists and architects, Speedism develops visual
universes, theoretical landscapes, denkräume, narratives and scenarios.

www.speedism.net

Prepared by Dr. Mary Anne Akers, Dean, School of Architecture and Planning, Morgan State University
Executive Summary for the COIL, Inc. Redevelopment Project
INTRODUCTION
The proposed project area is located on the 1200 block (and possibly, 1100 block) of West Baltimore Street, located on the southwest portion of the City of Baltimore. For decades, the area, known as the Baltimore City Gateway Community, was an industrial, residential and light commercial district but fairly recent development projects (i.e., Oriole Park Baseball Stadium, M&T Raven’s Football Stadium, and University of Maryland Biotech Park) have positively modified the face of the district. As other changes are anticipated, the proposed project area is confronted with developments that do not necessarily address community needs. Typical of other major cities, urban physical transformations and gentrification practices force local residents out of their familiar environments.
PURPOSE OF THE COIL, Inc. PROJECT
The purposes of the proposed project are three-fold:
1. To revitalize the area by generating jobs and achieving economic viability in the community;
2. To develop innovative development models that address the needs of multiple stakeholders (i.e., community residents, UM Bio-tech park campus, Bon Secours Hospital); and
3. To create an urban hub for cultural activities (i.e., jazz music, community-based performing arts).
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
While there is a strong demand to develop the area with a conventional development mindset, this project serves the community and the city better if alternative strategies are implemented. To achieve the goals for the proposed project, the development team must adhere to several principles which include the following:
1. Development projects should be designed in the context of urban sustainability. This, of course, does not only apply to the construction of green buildings, but the integration of urban ecology, microclimate, urban design, transportation, and people-oriented public and private spaces.
2. Development projects should not only cater to one specific group of users. For the area to be socially and economically viable, mixed-used and mixed-income projects, as well as inter-generational and multi-cultural projects should be designed.
3. A socio-behavioral and educational component should be part of the over-all behavioral concept. Bricks and mortar will not necessarily uplift and revitalize a community. Educational opportunities, job training, and social services are integral to the development process.
COMMUNITY WISH LIST
To jumpstart the development process, project ideas were discussed among residents and COIL,Inc. Please note that feasibility studies, environmental analyses, participatory charrettes, and the development of a community master plan and site concept plan for the 1200 and 1100
Prepared by Dr. Mary Anne Akers, Dean, School of Architecture and Planning, Morgan State University
Executive Summary for the COIL, Inc. Redevelopment Project
blocks of West Baltimore Street must first be accomplished before any construction is initiated. The following are several ideas that were gathered:
▪ Multi-cultural complex, which includes a jazz library, recording studio, performing arts auditorium, and a music school;
▪ Hotel, such as a Marriott hotel;
▪ Negro League Baseball and Sports Museum;
▪ Leadership training center;
▪ Mercantile Financial Development Empowerment Center;
▪ Retail shopping mall;
▪ Loft apartments;
▪ Professional Center; and
▪ Medical building.
NEXT STEP
The City of Baltimore and COIL, Inc., at this point, should hire a consultant to provide the necessary studies to move forward with the redevelopment project. The School of Architecture and Planning (SA+P) at Morgan State University has the capacity to render services for the project. SA+P is an academic unit that approaches the study of urban communities from an interdisciplinary perspective.
We believe that SA+P is the best and most appropriate consultant for this project because of the following reasons:
1. The SA+P is the only school in Baltimore that has accredited programs in Architecture, Landscape Architecture, and City and Regional Planning and we have fully qualified professional faculty members who can lead, guide, and facilitate the planning process.
2. The community project is consistent with our School’s mission which is to, “…advance the principles ofspatial justice, urban revitalization and sustainability and design for the everyday experience, through teaching, research, creative work, and community service.”
3. We use Baltimore city as our main educational laboratory but are also mindful of its context (i.e., region, nation, world). This means we are cognizant of Baltimore’s history, political dynamics, and cultural nuances, and are experts in observing and reflecting on its urban complexities, including the built environment’s impact on people, neighborhoods, and districts.
4. We are a special organization because of our student and faculty diversity, which lends itself to a dynamic exchange of ideas and experiences. These diverse perspectives result in a unique synergy that produces fresh and innovative solutions to urban problems.

The BSA is moving to the Fort Point Channel, aka ”the Station North of Boston,” where they will create a new “design and architecture center complete with a museum and lecture hall to serve the public.”

http://news.bostonherald.com/business/real_estate/view/20100222architect_group_plans_new_digs_eyes_move_to_atlantic_wharf/srvc=home&position=also

• Invention
• Baltimore Development Cooperative/Baltimore Development Corporation
• Public Art
• Streets
• Parking
• Water

Are there other topics you’d like to see covered?  Other topics you’d like to curate?

http://justmetropolis.doodlekit.com/home/call_for_papers_and_presentations

Call for Proposals – Deadline March 1, 2010
Presentations, Posters and Workshops
As cities and towns around the world grapple with the impacts of multiple and concurrent crises, progressive planners, urbanists, activists, and citizens face the challenge of transforming crises into opportunities to advance profound changes in the way we plan, build, design, live in, and govern our cities.

We invite submissions addressing, but not limited to, the following questions: How are today’s crises impacting cities and transforming contemporary debates about justice? What possible futures emerge as cities and local communities respond to rapid economic, political, demographic, and environmental change? What is a just distribution of local, national, and global responsibilities? What possibilities and/or responsibilities will move us toward a more just metropolis? How do we collaborate to achieve change towards social justice, equity, better living conditions, and the right to the metropolis? What innovative ideas can crises prompt in the quest for a just and inclusive metropolis? And how do we get there?

Submission could be in the form of workshops, panel discussions, paper/project presentations, and posters. We encourage the grouping of papers in pre-organized sessions but reserve the right to realign papers once proposals have been accepted. The conference will feature a special reception for posters, during which authors will display and discuss their work one-on-one. We encourage collaboration across disciplines and communities.

DEADLINE: All submissions are due by March 1, 2010

Applicants will be notified within a month of submission. Our review committee will begin work as soon as proposals are submitted, so interested participants are encouraged to submit proposals before the deadline. All participants in sessions – including local panelists – are required to register for the conference.

SESSION TYPES: We have identified four types of sessions, which are described below. If you have an idea for a different format, i.e. a film or art session, you will have the option to choose “other” on the abstract submission form.

Paper/Project Presentations – These sessions are designed for people to present their research, projects, ideas, accomplishments and failures. Individual presentations should be limited to 15 minutes. Qualifying presentations will be grouped together based on subject, geography or other thematic considerations. Paper/project sessions will be between 1 and 1.5 hours, and all authors should be present for the full duration of their session, to allow for audience Q&A.

Panels – Panels may be a collection of individual papers and projects or a panel facilitated by a moderator. Priority will be given to panels that reflect diversity of opinions, backgrounds and geography. Panels must have a minimum of three and a maximum of five panelists. The panel organizer must submit ONE abstract on behalf of the entire panel. The abstract should include the title, purpose, and the names of the panelists and the moderator. Qualifying panel discussions will be between 1 and 1.5 hours and should leave room for Q&A. If you would like us to help identify an outside moderator/discussant, please indicate so in your submission.

Participatory Workshops – The goal of a participatory workshop is the involvement of ALL workshop participants in a discussion or other exercise designed to learn, communicate, debate, etc. Workshops can be led by a single person, although workshops led by a diverse range of people will receive priority. “Presenting” by the workshop leader/s should be limited. Workshop proposals should include the title and purpose of the workshop, the names of all presenters/leaders, and should indicate how leaders intend to involve others in the workshop. Workshops will be between 1 and 1.5 hours and will take place in classroom-sized rooms, unless special arrangements are made. Please indicate if the workshop will require any special arrangements for space, scheduling, etc.

Posters – Posters emphasize the visual communication of ideas and are an excellent way to present one’s research, designs or project outside of a formal session. The conference will feature a special reception for posters, during which authors will present and discuss their work one-on-one, and the posters will be on display in the main conference site during the classroom sessions on Friday June 18th and Saturday June 19th. Poster abstracts should include the title, purpose, names of all authors/presenters and preliminary description or design of the poster.

Other – We enthusiastically invite the submission of proposals for other presentation formats, such as film, installations, project exhibitions, student work, etc. Abstracts in this category must include the title, purpose, names of presenters/authors, description of the work to be presented, and any required special arrangements (space, scheduling, etc.).

SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS

Presenters/authors must first submit an abstract-length proposal of approximately 250-400 words. Proposals must also include:

•Title
•Purpose
•Key words (minimum of 1, maximum of 5)
•Abstract (250-400 words)
•Name(s) of all authors, presenters, panelists, workshop leaders, etc.
•Name(s) of suggested discussant(s), for pre-organized sessions and panels only
•Special arrangements (space requirements, scheduling, etc.)
To submit an abstract, clink on the link below, which will take you to an offsite abstract submission system which we are using to manage submissions.

Abstract Submission Page
Please direct any questions about proposal submissions to Kate Ervin (HunterMUP at gmail.com). We look forward to having you participate in the Just Metropolis!

Tuesday, September 15Tuesday, September 15th 2009

Downtown Zoning Workshop
Noon-2:30pm
Downtown Partnership of Baltimore, 217 N. Charles Street, Suite 1
Come explore and contribute new ideas about downtown zoning.

Open House Review
5:30pm -7:00 pm
The Lobby of 100 N. Charles Street (One Charles Center)See the results from earlier in the day!!