Stream

We are excited to launch Currents—an initiative that seeks to understand and articulate recent shifts in the design and construction of the public realm and to help make these broader trends in professional practice more visible. The project was developed by Sasaki's Urban Studio, inspired by academic exploration at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln led by Sasaki principal and Urban Studio chair Gina Ford. Currents comprises five themes—engaging, researching, competing, withstanding, and programming. Each theme will be examined in sequential volumes, which will be released throughout the coming year.


Engaging is also available for download here.

Engaging focuses on the role of innovation in public outreach as a driver of design in American cities. The document illustrates a series of recent, notable case studies in which outreach was a critical component of the design. The studies are curated to illustrate the following five concepts: process as event, on-the-ground, real time, early wins, and accessible materials. This volume concludes with a case study on Sasaki's Storming the Fort submittal for the Fort Mason Center Design Competition.

Gina Ford and Sasaki associate Alexis Canter will be further exploring the ideas and issues raised in Engaging in their panel on Monday at the 2012 ASLA Annual Meeting in Phoenix. The panel, entitled "Getting to the 99%: Tools for Innovating the Usual Public Meeting," describes three unique, contemporary outreach processes—in Scott Page's Wicker Park project, West 8's Governor's Island project, and Sasaki's Water Works Park project.

Stay tuned for more!