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(eco)Logical: Greening the 21st Century City

Richard M. Daley Ken Greenberg Hillary Brown Robert Campbell Douglas I. Foy: April 7, 2005; Running Time: 1:48:29

About the Lecture

About the Lecture

Without much national fanfare, Chicago has transformed itself into a paragon of green virtue. The remarkable achievements cited by Mayor Daley include: converting nearly every inch of the city’s 26 miles of lakefront to public use, including parks, fountains, bike paths, theatre and concert space; planting 1.6 million square feet of gardens on the roofs of city hall, city schools, parking garages, museums and stores like Target and Walmart, thus lowering temperatures in the summer and energy needed to cool buildings; transforming brown fields into new industrial facilities, affordable housing, green spaces, and generating three thousand new jobs; creating environmentally sensitive construction standards for all public buildings, and helping private enterprises achieve similar standards, including the use of recycled materials and solar panels.

Ken Greenberg notes across the U.S. a new “understanding of the cohabitation of nature and society of humans in cities,” one which “cuts across class and political divides” because of the “powerful allure of natural features.” Hillary Brown observes among urban designers “a new shared language based on ecological metaphors and whole systems thinking.” She champions “demystifying sustainable practices, making the benefits of greening comprehensive and transparent to everyone,” including those who pave city sidewalks and roads, build sewers and treat water. Robert Campbell admits “green looks better” but warns that “green buildings are largely symbolic,” because “they won’t solve the world’s energy problems by a long shot.” People are obsessed “with the Eden of the natural world, which blinds us to reality.” The only long-term green solution involves “reorganizing the patterns by which we inhabit earth” -- compact settlement in cities, versus suburban sprawl. Doug Foy says, “Anything we do to put things in cities…and to keep them off of green landscapes… is a win.” He concludes that all great cities require useable water front, transit systems for dense habitation, neighborhoods and nonprofit organizations that sustain the economy through ups and downs.

Lecture Details

Location: Stata Center
32-123

“When the city works in harmony with the environment, it looks better, feels better, and shows up in the tax register. People like to shop on a pleasant street, and will pay more for a house in an attractive neighborhood…. Tourism and conventions is a $9 billion industry in Chicago. The environment has become a growth industry, and we want Chicago to lead the way.”

Mayor Richard Daley

About the Speakers

Richard M. Daley

Mayor, City of Chicago

Daley has pursued innovative approaches to address such issues as employment, the environment, education, and public safety. A former state senator and county prosecutor, Daley was elected Mayor on April 4, 1989, to complete the term of the late Harold Washington, and was re-elected in 1991, 1995, 1999 and 2003 by overwhelming margins.

Daley has brought design to the core of civic debate. His interest in architecture and planning issues is personal and passionate and has made a dramatic difference in the way his city looks and feels.

Ken Greenberg

Principal, Greenberg Consultants Ltd.

Greenberg is one of North America’s leading urban designers, focusing on the rejuvenation of downtown areas, waterfronts and neighborhoods. His work has won 22 awards over the course of 12 years.

Hillary Brown

Architect and Principal, New Civic Works Founder, New York City Office of Sustainable Development

Brown's firm,New Civic Works, assists government agencies, universities and institutional clients to integrate environmentally responsible practices into their programs.

Robert Campbell

Architecture Critic
The Boston Globe

Campbell has been architecture critic of The Boston Globe since 1973, writing criticism, news stories, opinion pieces and feature articles about all aspects of the built environment. A founder of the Mayors’ Institute for City Design, Robert won the Pulitzer Prize in 1996.

Douglas I. Foy

Secretary of the Office for Commonwealth Development
State of Massachusetts

Before assuming his state government position, Foy wasfor 25 years President of the Conservation Law Foundation (CLF), one of the leading environmental advocacy organizations in the country.

About the Host

About the Host

Department of Urban Studies and Planning

The Department of Urban Studies and Planning (DUSP) is a department within the School of Architecture and Planning at MIT. It is comprised of four specialization areas (also referred to as Program Groups): City Design and Development; Environmental Policy and Planning; Housing, Community and Economic Development; and the International Development Group. There are also three cross-cutting areas of study: Transportation Planning and Policy, Urban Information Systems (UIS), and Regional Planning.