City Forum | Panel on The Many Dimensions of Density | Talia McCray, Talia McCray, Simon Atkinson, Sarah Dooling, Fernando Lara

Friday Nov. 12, 2010 , noon to 1:30 p.m.

n urban planning, many of the measures that we use to characterize the successes and shortfalls in the making of physical designs, social programs and urban spaces have a direct and significant relation to density. For some people and in many contexts, increasing density is clearly a goal—it increases vibrancy, economy, and more. For others, the desire is to limit density—to reduce the adverse impacts of overcrowding, contagion, and pollution. These and other notions are often debated, but all too often not thoroughly understood, as they are inherently complex.

Members of the faculty in planning and architecture at the University of Texas have carefully explored many of the dimensions of density and are positioned to offer perspectives as they apply to urban planning and design. On November 12 at City Forum, five members of the faculty of the School of Architecture will sit as a panel to present and discuss these topics.

The panelists:

* Dr. Talia McCray, Assistant Professor of Planning, will be Panel Moderator. She teaches and studies urban transportation and social policy planning relating to accessibility, equity, and sustainable transportation.

* Dean Almy is Associate Professor of Architecture and Director of both the Landscape Architecture and Urban Design Programs. He is an urban designer who studies US and European cities and writes about landscape urbanism. He also directs the Dallas Urban Laboratory for the School.

* Dr. Simon Atkinson is the Mike Hogg Centennial Professor in Community and Regional Planning, with training and professional expertise in architecture, planning, and urban design. He studies cities globally and conducts the Oxford Study Abroad Program.

* Dr. Sarah Dooling is Assistant Professor of Planning and an associate of the University’s Environmental Science Institute. She teaches both in the planning and landscape architecture programs and conducts research on urban ecology and sustainable cities

* Dr. Fernando Lara is Assistant Professor of Architecture. He teaches and conducts research on contemporary Latin American architecture as well as community scale architecture and urbanism, including action research in Brazilian favelas, Texas colonias, and other informal settlements.