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News

Marianne Potvin on the perils of humanitarianism

When humanitarian relief organizations substitute for civic structures in states weakened by crisis and conflict, a new type of urbanism prevails, contends Marianne Potvin (MDesS ‘13 and PhD). Too often the resulting agendas ignore or sacrifice the needs of the devastated populations they purport to serve. Potvin examines this phenomenon through the lens of “humanitarian urbanism” in an article for Open Democracy entitled "Kabul: the humanitarian city."

Dec 17, 2013

News

Sara Hendren – still rolling over obstacles

Sara Hendren (MDesS '13) is not known for drawing within the lines and she’s not easily discouraged. She started her guerrilla art project, the Accessible Icon Project, as a provocation and conversation starter 3 years ago in Cambridge with Brian Glenney.  By now it’s become a global movement, seasoned by a touch of controversy, and it landed her on the front page of the Boston Globe Saturday. Read “Wheelchair icon revamped by guerrilla art project.”

Dec 17, 2013

News

GSD students and alums take on the urban resilience challenge

Mexico City was recently selected recently for the Rockefeller Foundation's 100 Resilient Cities Centennial Challenge, and 6 students and alums from the GSD and HKS contributed to that success. Acting as the Agencia de Resiliencia Urbana (Urban Resilience Collective), Adriana Chávez (MDesS and MArch '14), Víctor Rico Espínola (MAUD '14), Oscar Malaspina (MAUD '13), Elena Tudela (MAUD '12), Einat Rosenkrantz (MAUD '13) and Johanan Rivera (HKS MPAID '13) collaborated with Mexico City to create its winning proposal.

Dec 10, 2013

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GSD and Bergamo University launch Smart[er] Citizens collaboration

The Smart[er] Citizens research and teaching collaboration between the GSD and Bergamo University has launched with a one-week design workshop in Bergamo, Italy. The workshop's strategic analysis of Bergamo will form the basis for the Smart[er] Cities course being offered in the 2014 spring semester by Nashid Nabian.

Dec 5, 2013

News

Tara Tan’s CLOUD goes to Japan

Tara Tan’s (MDesS ’14) mixed media installation on memory and the city, CLOUD, is opening December 5 in Tokyo as part of Festival Tokyo.  Through film, live performance, evocative soundscapes and twitter feeds, the performance examines the ways we remember in the digital age.

Nov 25, 2013

News

GSD bridges gap between design and science

Research and collaboration is front and center at the GSD, and these days, it’s moving design forward into areas never before ventured. The Design Robotics Group (DRG), a research unit that looks at the role of material processes and systems in the built environment, and the Responsive Environments and Artifacts Lab (REAL), have delved into the world of science through their innovative partnership with the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering.

Nov 21, 2013