The GSD Virtual Town Hall: Engaged Citizenry discussion explored design as a democratic process. Design has the power to bring people together. Architects, landscape architects, and planners have an obligation to engage the public in their communities. Where does design and advocacy align and how do we ensure that more designers have a seat at the table?

The Harvard Graduate School of Design hosts visionary leaders who share a commitment to improving our world through civic dialogue while reaching a diverse range of stakeholders and participants.

GSD Dean Sarah M. Whiting, Josep Lluís Sert Professor of Architecture, led a conversation with panelists Hazel Ruth Edwards MAUD ’89, Radcliffe Institute Fellow ’24 and Professor of Architecture at Howard University’s College of Engineering and Architecture, and Belinda Tato, Associate Professor in Practice of Landscape Architecture at the GSD, exploring the value of public participation in shaping the infrastructure where we live, work, and connect. How can the design community effectively engage our communities to improve social interaction and our relationship with the environment while prioritizing sustainability, growth, and resiliency?

GSD Virtual Town Halls present an opportunity to join Dean Whiting and thought leaders in design to discuss various perspectives on critical topics in our built and natural environments. We invite your participation in the Q&A portion of the event.

“Participation is not an end, it is a means: a powerful tool that establishes new connections and boosts both creativity and the production of new ideas.” (“Making Participation Relevant to Design,” Spring 2024 GSD seminar description by Belinda Tato.)

To stay current on how the GSD engages public participation, advocacy, and a designer's relationship to their community and environment, please visit the GSD’s website: https://www.gsd.harvard.edu/topic/soc...