Paul Goldberg, dean of Parsons, is a noted commentator on the broader implications of architecture and design.

Architectural critic will look at rebuilding efforts after WTC and Katrina

By Kevin Sottak
Institute for Policy Studies

Pulitzer Prize–winning architectural critic Paul Goldberger will kick off the Rebuilding America’s Cities lecture series next week with a talk titled “After the World Trade Center and Katrina: The Struggle to Repair the Broken City.” The talk will examine two of the nation’s most physically challenging, symbolically important and politically charged urban rebuilding efforts.

Goldberger, currently dean of Parsons The New School for Design, is one of the world’s eminent commentators on architecture and design and their broader social, political and economic implications. He was architectural critic at The New York Times from 1972 to 1997, earning a Pulitzer Prize in 1984. Since 1997, he has written The New Yorker’s celebrated “Sky Line” architecture column, a position once held by Lewis Mumford and more recently by Brendan Gill. Goldberger is the author of several books, including Up From Zero: Politics, Architecture and the Rebuilding of New York, which recounts the story of the design selection process for the World Trade Center memorial, describing how conflicting pressures from economic hopes, politics and powerful egos have shaped decisions about the project. Up from Zero was named among the 100 Most Notable Books of the Year in 2005 by The New York Times.

From lower Manhattan to New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward, Goldberger’s talk will examine how major U.S. cities respond to catastrophic events and the critical role of architecture and design in the recovery process. With a sophisticated understanding of urban architecture and its impact on people and on the social and cultural life of a city, Goldberger will provide insights into the enormous challenges and opportunities that the rebuilding process entails.

The Rebuilding America’s Cities series is part of the Garrett Lecture on Urban Issues, which commemorates the interest of the Garrett family, the original owners of the historic Evergreen House, in urban planning issues. Rebuilding America’s Cities is co-sponsored by the Johns Hopkins Institute for Policy Studies, the Evergreen House Foundation and the Office of the Provost.

The speaker and date for the next lecture have not been set.

Goldberger’s talk will be held at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, April 18, in the Carriage House at Evergreen House. After the talk, Goldberger will sign copies of his book, which will be on sale at the event.

The lecture is free, but seating is limited and an RSVP is required. To respond, or for more information, contact Nancy Powers at 410-516-0341 or e-mail urbanlecture@jhu.edu.

GO TO APRIL 10, 2006 TABLE OF CONTENTS.
GO TO THE GAZETTE FRONT PAGE.