CNU32 – Cincinnati, OH

As DPZ partner Matt Lambert assumed his new role as chair of its board of directors, the 32nd Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU) annual conference took over downtown Cincinnati, OH, in mid-May.

Quite appropriately for a 19th Century city that has witnessed the rebirth of many historic neighborhoods, the theme was restorative urbanism. Many of the sessions focused on the management, design, and policy tools new urbanists are employing to bring about much-needed revitalization in our urban cores.

DPZ helped “restore and energize” the attendees once again with our #NotABooth coffee lounge. While not taking in the sights of new and old urbanism in the area, DPZers were moderating sessions, participating in panel discussions, and sharing some of DPZ’s architectural and urban know-how in special presentations.

Click here to read more about DPZ’s participation at this year’s CNU conference.

Walton County 2040 Community Engagement Charrette

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Winnipeg, Canada

Friday Harbour, Innisfill, Canada

HUD Innovative Housing Showcase – Washington, DC

This June 6-7, Andres Duany and several other DPZers participated in the Innovative Housing Showcase on the National Mall, managed by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Policy Development and Research (PD&R).

DPZ partnered with New Amherst Homes, 21st Century Home, and the No-Nonsense Housing Company to design and build model units for “The Bento” and “The C.I.E.R.S. House”.

Click here to learn more about the event.

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Above: Poundbury, Dorchester

NTBA UK Immersion Trip with Senen Antonio

DPZ Partner Senen Antonio embarked on an International Immersion Tour this past June with the National Town Builders Association (NTBA) in Hertfordshire and Dorchester, England, UK.

Characterized by its picturesque countryside, charming towns and cities, and close proximity to London, Hertfordshire has long been considered to be an extremely desirable place to live, work, and visit. In 2008, DPZ was invited by the University of Hertfordshire to run the Hertfordshire Planning Charrette to engage the general population in a debate about the county’s future design and growth.

The tour also included Poundbury, Dorchester, where DPZ designed a code and regulating plan in 1989, as well as an introduction to The King’s Foundation. The King’s Foundation provides holistic solutions to challenges facing the world today, and has a history of collaboration with DPZ since it was initially called The Prince’s Foundation.

Senen also hosted a Central London Walking Tour that explored a number of landmarks and hotspots.

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DPZ attends the Hagamos Ciudad (Let’s Make a City) Conference in Leon, Mexico

Organized by long-time DPZ clients, the Gómez family of León, Guanajuato, the Hagamos Ciudad conference took place last May in León, the second of what is becoming a biennial event to promote New Urbanism in Mexico. Over 300 local developers, financiers, and architects eagerly attended two days of presentations at the beautiful campus of the Academia Renacimiento, a music school for local underserved children operated by the Gómez family.

Other speakers included Alejandro Restrepo, chief architect and planner for the city of Medellin, Colombia, and DPZ’s own Milena Bingre, who presented her master’s thesis on the issue of urban security in Latin America and possible architectural solutions. Finally, Architect Miguel Gómez of Mi Ciudad discussed the importance of form-based codes in promoting good regional planning and walkable urbanism. The event concluded with a panel moderated by Miguel where conference participants addressed audience questions about New Urbanism and its solutions to local challenges.

DPZ would like to express our gratitude to Juan Carlos, Alonso, and Miguel Gómez for their hospitality, as well as our admiration for their cultural and civic leadership.

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New 2024 DPZ Team Members

DPZ has welcomed some new faces to several of our offices this year, and we wanted to take the opportunity to spotlight these individuals.

Madison is a recent graduate of the University of Oregon where she received her Master of Architecture with a specialization in Urban Architecture and Urban Design. Her interest in sustainability, adaptive reuse, urban design, and historic preservation inspired her to pursue her studies. Her current career goals include becoming a licensed architect so she can work in the future of sustainable cities and learn how to build on existing infrastructures.

Carson joined DPZ as a designer in November starting in the Miami office and transitioned to the DC office this past February. He has a BS in Architecture from Kent State University and a Masters in Architecture from the University of Miami. He additionally has an MRED+U Certificate (Real estate Development + Urbanism).

This past December, Camille rejoined DPZ as an urban designer in the Portland office. She has a BS in Architecture with a minor in Ecosystem Science Policy from the University of Miami. Her experience spans across various project types, including revitalization and vision plans for downtown cores, regional structure plans, form-based codes, publications, and more.

Méabh has joined the DPZ Miami office as a Summer Intern from Dublin, Ireland, continuing the rich tradition of the internship program. She is a final year BA student of History of Art and Architecture at Trinity College Dublin, with a keen interest in the social impact of architecture and urban planning. Her internship at DPZ is part of the Laidlaw Foundation’s Undergraduate Research and Leadership Development Program.

Third Photo: Clemente Garay with his painted book
Fifth Photo: Dhiru Thadani’s scale comparison between the plan of Uzes and a typical U.S. mall

DPZ Master Plan and Codes continue to guide development at Friday Harbour resort, Innisfil, Ontario

Over two decades since DPZ first designed what would become Friday Harbour Resort at Big Bay Point, Innisfil, the master plan and adopted SmartCode continue to guide development.

Since its initial residents arrived in 2017, Friday Harbour has emerged as a contemporary, four-seasons resort. Situated on Lake Simcoe, just 60 kilometers north of Toronto, the resort boasts a unique, walkable urban experience in Canada’s ‘cottage-country.’ Development saw the site’s historic marina reconstructed to accommodate 1,000 boat slips, the introduction of a crescent-shaped, mixed-use boardwalk with restaurants, shops, and a grocery. It also includes civic amenities such as: an 18-hole golf course designed by Doug Carrick; a beach club along the marina and a modest beach; a lake club with a pool, gym, and restaurant; and an amphitheater space at the end of the main marina pier. The resort’s residences vary in type, from luxury homes sculpting island fingers in the marina to townhomes and condominiums, with the goal of promoting natural and sustainable development.

Photograph of Friday Harbour’s water tower courtesy of Friday Harbour

The resort is surrounded by environmental lands that have been significantly preserved and enhanced with a tree reforestation program, the creation of new wetlands, a snake hibernaculum, amphibian crossings beneath streets and a butternut replantation program at a compensation of 20:1. The marina and canals are kept clean despite the busy boating activities with innovative stormwater management practices, such as phosphorus loading reductions to Lake Simcoe.

Since a successful petition in 2020 abolished restrictions on occupancy, many residents of Friday Harbour now live at the resort year-round.

Approved 2007 DPZ masterplan plan for the resort ( left) and updated plan of the resort presented last month to local council with proposed changes to amenities, Beach precinct and Hotel and conference area highlighted (right)

Friday Harbour has undergone various evolutions since DPZ’s initial master plan which was first designed in 2002 — from a name-change, to the relocation of its golf course and to the designation of nearly a third of the property as an Environmental Protection Zone. Each of these evolutions have been guided by DPZ’s master plan, finalized and approved in 2007. Intrinsic to this plan was the establishment of a robust Code, consisting of a regulating plan and urban, architectural, thoroughfare and landscape standards. The Code continues to guide Friday Harbour’s development. Any proposed changes require amendment via public consultation, providing opportunity for the local community to enter dialogue with the developer, in addition to ensuring cohesion of design and adherence to the original vision.

Photograph of Friday Harbour’s marina courtesy of Friday Harbour

The latest phase of Friday Harbour’s development reflects the success of the Plan. The proposed update was presented for public consultation at a local council meeting last month. The changes deviate from existing density and heights, with an amendment to the master code’s restrictions to enable the construction of a 15-story hotel, a convention center, and an adjacent high-density beach precinct area, adding over 1,000 new units. The proposal received lengthy debate, with many Friday Harbour residents objecting to the increased density and calling for increased amenities for residents and visitors. DPZ partner Marina Khoury, who attended the public meeting on June 19th, stressed that the proposed level of density would help support the growing retail and restaurant facilities at Friday Harbour. She further noted that ensuring that the added density was commensurate to fostering the character of the resort and its amenities had remained paramount.

The proposed plans await decision at a future town council meeting.

Photograph of Friday Harbour’s promenade courtesy of Friday Harbour

It has taken a village to make this project a reality. Other consultants include: SCS Consulting Group Ltd; Schollen & Company Inc; Malone Given Parsons; Davies Howe Partners; Beacon Environmental; UrbanMetrics; BA Group; Hutchinson Environmental Sciences LTD; GEMTEC; Jade Acoustics; MQ Energy / Moon-Matz; TYLin; Forrec; Shoreplan and many architects.

DPZ at CNU32 – Cincinnati, OH

As DPZ partner Matt Lambert assumed his new role as chair of its board of directors, the 32nd Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU) annual conference took over downtown Cincinnati, OH, in mid-May. Quite appropriately for a 19th Century city that has witnessed the rebirth of many historic neighborhoods, the theme was restorative urbanism. Many of the sessions focused on the management, design, and policy tools new urbanists are employing to bring about much-needed revitalization in our urban cores.

DPZ helped “restore and energize” the attendees once again with our #NotABooth coffee lounge. While not taking in the sights of new and old urbanism in the area, DPZers were moderating sessions, participating in panel discussions, and sharing some of DPZ’s architectural and urban know-how in special presentations.

Cincinnati: Lessons from a Re-energized 19th Century City

Cincinnati’s Over-the-Rhine (left) and the Village of Mariemont (right).

A hub of industry and commerce in the 19th and early 20th Centuries, downtown Cincinnati experienced a late 20th-Century decline typical of many neighboring midwest cities. That trend has been reversed over the past couple of decades. CNU was held at the historic Hilton Cincinnati Netherlands Plaza, walking distance from the re-energized Over-the-Rhine — one of the largest and most intact urban historic districts in the country.

Much of the city’s revitalization efforts are attributed to work done by 3CDC, a non-profit development corporation created in 2003 with a focus on strengthening the core elements of successful, urban downtowns. Their work in the CBD and Over-the-Rhine followed the incremental New Urbanist playbook, creating vibrant public realms by prioritizing mixed-use, 24/7 living, and the role of small businesses, public art and good shop front design.

It has helped that Cincinnati has remained the headquarters of Procter & Gamble since 1837, currently supplying over 40,000 jobs to the area and attracting five other fortune 500 companies along the way.

The Village of Mariemont, a great example of an inner-ring suburb, is also a short drive away. Founded and largely designed by planner John Nolen, the city’s charm reflects its English garden city inspiration.

#NOTABOOTH

DPZ returned to CNU this year with the well-frequented #NotABooth lounge concept, featuring a table, seating, and a Cuban coffee station in place of the traditional booth setup seen amongst conference exhibitors.

Bustling conference goers would stop by the #NotABooth for great conversation, cafécito, and a moment to rest at an inviting space between sessions. The #NotABooth also served as DPZ’s home base to meet and network with new and old faces at the conference.

Panel Participation

Andrés Duany, Margaret Brown (former Director of the City of Houston Planning & Development Department), and Abraham Zorrilla (Planner IV at City of Houston) during the Breaking Barriers in Urban Planning: Houston’s No Zoning Approach and Homelessness Session

Throughout the conference, sessions were led by a variety of experts across the industry. Many of these sessions were moderated by DPZers who helped with organization, Q&A, and insight via panel participation.

These panels included:

• Breaking barriers in Urban Planning: Houston’s No Zoning Approach and Homelessness: a conversation moderated by Andrés Duany and Fernando Pagés.
• Urban Growth Boundary: Bridging the urban/rural divide: featuring DPZ Partner Matt Lambert as a panelist.
• CNU Latino Open Session: featuring Fernando Pagés and Andrés Duany as panelists.
• A Restorative Response to the Unequal Impacts of Climate Change: featuring a panel of young New Urbanists, including DPZ’s Camille Cortes.
• Highway Transformation Manual and CNU Transportation Resource Forum: again featuring Camille Cortes.
• Pitch Your Project in Five Minutes or Less: organized by the National Town Builders Association (NTBA), including DPZ Partner Senen Antonio.
• Shelter from the Storm: Housing During Crisis: with panelist Camille Cortes.
• Recovering Main Street Architecture: featuring Judith Bell and Ben Northrup as key presenters.
• Closing Keynote: a conversation between Caros Moreno and DPZ Partner Marina Khoury.

DPZ Partner Marina Khoury and Carlos Moreno (Associate Professor at the University of Paris) during the Closing Keynote: Frameworks for Restoration: The 15-Minute City and the Principles of New Urbanism

Recovering Main Street Architecture Session

DPZ’s Judith Bell and Ben Northrup with Adam Bonosky (SWBR) at the Recovering Main Street Architecture session

Toward the end of the conference, DPZ’s Judith Bell and Ben Northrup teamed with UM graduate Adam Bonosky, an architect and senior planner at SWBR, on a session about recovering Main Street architecture.

Great strides have been made in codifying and designing good urbanism, but too many Main Streets fall short because of weak architecture. Understanding the correct approach to facade composition and the design of well-proportioned, inviting urban buildings helps to bridge that gap and make truly inspiring Main Streets with a strong pedestrian realm.

The learning objectives included:

• Identifying appropriate pedestrian frontage types for a Main Street
• Describing the principles of facade composition for successful downtown streets
• Identifying essential and optional components of a shopfront facade
• Identifying appropriate metrics for design guidelines and codes
• Planning for Main Street pedestrian frontage improvements

All in all, CNU32 was a busy and successful conference with much to be learned from the beautiful downtown of Cincinnati.

DPZ Spring Newsletter 2024

Downtown Vero Beach intersection reimagined with a newly paved Main Street that is animated nightly by digital art projections.

2024 has been off to a running start with a busy calendar of new projects, charrettes, speaking engagements, and special events that have set the tone for the rest of the year.

As we wrap up the first quarter and look ahead to the CNU next month and the summer beyond, we wanted to share some of the recent highlights with you. It’s worth mentioning that DPZ’s first two projects of the year were municipal charrettes: a downtown master plan for Vero Beach, FL, and a future land use map and form-based code for Bentonville, AR.

To read and learn more in depth about our work this past year, check out the other posts on the  DPZ Pulse.

Above: The Master Plan Charrette Opening Presentation was held at Vero Beach’s historic Heritage Center. Below: A review of key goals with Mayor John Cotugno, a meeting to discuss homeless outreach, and one of the evening update presentations.

Downtown Vero Beach Charrette

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Photos Courtesy of PlanBentonville

Bentonville Charrette “Design Week”

Aerial Photo of Playa Vista’s Crescent Park Courtesy of The MLS

Playa Vista Documentary

Topaz Medallion Presentation / ACSA Panel – Lizz Plater-Zyberk

This March, the ACSA held their 112th Annual Meeting in Vancouver, BC. The theme of this year’s meeting was ‘Disrupters on the Edge’ and featured discussions about challenging the status quo to reach effective design solutions for a changing world.

As previously announced in our Holiday Newsletter, Lizz was the recipient of the Topaz Medallion awarded at the event to honor architectural educators for exceptional work in building design, community collaborations,s cholarship, and service.

Congratulations again, Lizz!

Click  here to learn more about the event and the award.

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Big Sky Resort Celebrates 50th Anniversary

On the weekend of March 22nd – 24th, Big Sky Resort held a celebration to commemorate their 50th anniversary. The celebration, hosted by Stephen and Molly Kircher, included group tours, ski lifts opening to the public, presentations, and parties.

The anniversary also coincides with the unveiling of the new  Big Sky Assouline publication.

“This book is meant to be a tribute to Big Sky Resort for the celebration of its fiftieth year in business and all it has meant to so many. Taking the time to organize and share the story of its past while forecasting the vision for its exciting future has reminded us all how fortunate we are to have been a part of Big Sky’s history, and of the responsibility we have for its future.” – Stephen Kircher, CEO of Boyne Resorts.

DPZ has worked with Big Sky since 2022 on developing the vision and master plan for the next several decades.

To learn more about the anniversary and Big Sky Resort’s history, visit their website page  here.

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Marina Khoury presenting at The Real Deal: Future City Retreat. Courtesy of The Real Deal.

Urban Centers, Affordable Housing, and Author Interviews with Marina Khoury

DPZ Partner Marina Khoury had a busy speaking calendar to start 2024. In February, she addressed a group of real estate executives at   The Real Deal: Future City Retreat in the Bahamas where she led a discussion on crafting urban centers. In March, she spoke on affordable housing at Shenandoah University’s  2024 Housing Summit.

Additionally, in April, Marina facilitated an interview and discussion with former CNU board chair Ray Gindroz, who presented his new book, Taking a Pen for a Walk, as a part of CNU’s On The Park Bench series. The full webinar can be viewed  here.

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Alumni from the Yale School of Architecture gathered at DPZ’s Miami office. Pictured (left to right): Victor Deupi (Yale ’89), David Waggonner (Yale ’75), Britt Hayes (Yale ’13), Dean Deborah Berke, EPZ (Yale ’74), Michelle Badr (Yale ’20), Andrew Clum (Yale ’23), Patrick Giannini (Yale ’04), Ben Norhrup (Yale ’98).

Yale School of Architecture Alumni Event

On February 8th, DPZ hosted a gathering for alumni of the Yale School of Architecture in South Florida.  Joining Lizz at the reception were DPZ’s Ben Northrup (Yale M. Arch ’98) and UM Senior Lecturer Victor Deupi (Yale M. Arch ’89).

Dean Deborah Berke gave an update on the school, including news of the Yale Urban Design Workshop led by Alan Plattus. New Haven, like many American cities, has been experiencing an urban renaissance in recent years. Berke and DPZ have a shared past that dates back to the early years of Seaside. It was there that she designed the award-winning Modica Market, one of the first commercial buildings to be built around the Central Square, as well as numerous single-family homes.

Dean Berke observed that the honorary doctorate degree received by Lizz and Andrés last year was the first joint honorary degree to be awarded by the University.

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Miami’s Pedestrian-Friendly Centers: The Design District

On May 10th, DPZ Partner Lizz Plater-Zyberk will be leading a Walkshop for the NACTO Designing Cities 2024: Miami-Dade with DPZ Associate Judith Bell and University of Miami’s Ruth Ron as additional support staff.

The walking lecture is a 2-hour on-foot tour exploring Miami’s Design District – a curated architecture and art experience amidst landscaped and shaded city streets and cross-block passages. The District’s design was enabled by the Special Area Plan, a component of DPZ’s Miami 21 form-based code.

To learn more about the conference and how to register, visit the Designing Cities Website  here.

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2024 Grow Smart Academy in Lexington, Kentucky with Galina Tachieva

On May 7th, DPZ Partner Galina Tachieva will be the keynote speaker at Fayette Alliance’s Grow Smart Academy, a free, five-session program centered around education on land-use planning and its relationship to the economic development, environment, and quality of life in Lexington, Kentucky.

Galina’s keynote session,  Retrofitting Urban Sprawl in Lexington, will kick off the event on Tuesday evening at the historic Kentucky Theatre in downtown Lexington. She will reference her 25+ years of experience in sustainable planning, urban redevelopment, and form-based codes to illustrate examples of how city officials and residents can move toward creating a more walkable, pedestrian-friendly city.

To learn more about the program and how to register, visit the Fayette Alliance’s event page  here.

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With great sadness we note the surprise departure of our colleague Teófilo Victoria, professor at the University of Miami School of Architecture and partner, with his wife Maria de la Guardia, in the firm  DLGV Architects and Urbanists.

Teófilo was the first Town Architect of Seaside, having participated in the community’s design and guiding its early building. He dedicated his academic life to his students, teaching the introductory architecture course for many years, and traveling with students far and wide during summer sessions. In his professional life, he and Maria designed beautiful buildings throughout the greater Caribbean, including the first townhouses in Coral Gables, and for many years he led the Florida chapter of the Institute for Classical Architecture and Art.

A long-time friend of many at DPZ, we are missing his personality and his commitment to shared values. We imagine him happily now in conversation with old friends Vitruvius, Palladio, and Alberti!

Stories about Teófilo are being gathered at  social.arch@miami.edu.

Aerial view of Playa Vista’s Crescent Park / Photo courtesy of MLS Realty

Playa Vista – “A Four Decade Overnight Success” Documentary

In 1989, DPZ began a planning project for Playa Vista, a Los Angeles development for the former Howard Hughes airport and aircraft facility. It has since become a successful, mixed-use community proud of its preservation of history and restoration of adjacent wetlands. In an effort to document its history, Playa Vista Institute has created an in-depth documentary detailing the story of its development.

Historic image of the Hughes H-4 Hercules (aka the Spruce Goose) aircraft at a Hughes Airport hangar / Photo courtesy of Playa Vista Institute

The early days of Playa Vista’s development was accompanied by controversy. The Summa Corporation, the company that controlled the land and assets following the death of landowner Hughes, did not follow his wishes to leave the property undeveloped to preserve the Ballona Wetlands, historically occupied by the Gabrielinos/Tongva Native Americans. Summa’s plans for 6 million square feet of office space, high-rise buildings, and a million square-feet of retail space was met with public opposition in 1980 when it was announced.

Playa Vista Master Plan / Photo courtesy of Playa Vista Institute

In 1989, McGuire Thomas Partners took over the project and invited DPZ to gather a team to design the master plan that produced the Playa Vista we know today. Among the team were DPZ colleagues in the New Urbanism: Moule & Polyzoides, Moore Ruble Yudell, and Laurie Olin (landscape architect).

The new plan shifted away from a focus on commercial development to a community with a mix of uses and a major dedication to the conservation of the wetlands — 200 acres more than the original 1980 plan. A freshwater marsh, a riparian corridor, and restoration fund were also included.

The active pedestrian realm at Playa Vista / Photo credits to Playa Vista

The fundamental component of the master plan is the residential neighborhood. Each neighborhood has a distinct character related to its location while also sharing common planning principles — highlighted by a street and block structure with frequent paths. The high-density, multi-family buildings are organized around courtyards according to Los Angeles traditions. The architecture gives streets strongly defined edges to encourage pedestrian activity and frames a series of greens and squares with neighborhood amenities like playgrounds.

The Ballona Wetlands / Photo courtesy of Playa Vista Institute

DPZ Holiday Newsletter 2023

DPZers and significant others (including alumni who’ve recently co-designed with us) joined together to celebrate at the annual holiday party on December 15th, 2023.

Happy Holidays from DPZ!

As the year comes to a close we want to take a moment to look back at the events and accomplishments of 2023 and share a few updates and achievements.

2023 was a volatile year globally and the development world also remains unpredictable. Yet, for DPZ, it was a year of continued productivity. It brought another round of charrettes, continued research, ongoing implementation of our community codes and plans, speaking opportunities, and a few awards and special recognitions along the way. We are thrilled to wrap up the year by recapping some of these highlights that underscore our mission to enable those who inhabit our communities to live more sustainable, resilient, and happier lives.

To read and learn more in depth about our work this past year, check out the other posts on the DPZ Pulse.

DPZ Founding Partner Lizz Plater-Zyberk with Dolores Hayden and Ellen Dunham-Jones at the National Building Museum in Washington, DC.

Fall Presentations by EPZ

Lizz Plater-Zyberk had an eventful 2023 with a number of presentations and engagements. This past November saw two notable conferences that featured her as a panelist: a keynote lecture at the ICAA National Conference in Charleston, SC, on November 4th (Enduring Places) and a CNU discussion on Gender Equity and Urban Planning on November 14th.

Click  here to read more about Enduring Places.

DPZ Partner Senen Antonio speaking at the ULI 2023 Spring Meeting in Toronto.

ULI 2023 Spring Council Day – Toronto

DPZ Partner Senen Antonio was invited by the Urban Land Institute Community Development Council (ULI CDC) Gold Flight to speak at the 2023 Spring Council Day as part of the ULI Spring Meeting in Toronto this past May. Senen was part of a roster of seven speakers comprising leaders in various areas of the development industry.

As the recipient of the Randall Lewis Small Grant program, which seeks to incorporate topics of health and well-being at the Product Council level, Senen spoke on the principles for creating sustainable and resilient communities.

View the full event recap  here.

Digital renderings courtesy of NQS-IF Studio

Windsor North Village – Vero Beach, FL

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Port of Kennewick – Kennewick, WA

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Vineyard – Utah City, UT

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Image courtesy of Gulfshore Business

Naples Design District – Naples, FL

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Drawings courtesy of Philippine Daily Inquirer

Evo City – Cavite, Manila, Philippines

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Image courtesy of Chapleton’s blog

Chapelton – Aberdeenshire, Scotland

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As we welcomed a new crop of designers, this year saw the passing of several beloved members of the DPZ family. Three DPZers and one alumnus lost their moms. Last summer, longtime DPZ comptroller Tony Lopez also passed away. These losses remind us of the need to be grateful for the contributions by our own Co-Designers and the support our work receives from our immediate families.

ICAA National Conference in Charleston, SC

On the weekend of November 3rd – 5th of this year, the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art (ICAA) hosted a three-day architecture and design conference featuring DPZ’s Lizz Plater-Zyberk as the Saturday evening keynote. The conference included a diverse selection of panel discussions, talks, and tours focusing on three themes at the heart of classical design: craftsmanship, preservation, and sustainability.

Charles Barrett design for the Johnson & Wales gate, a collaboration with architect Randall Imai, in Providence, RI

Lizz gave the keynote lecture at the conference weaving together the missions and achievements of the ICAA and the Congress for New Urbanism (CNU). Lizz has long observed the relationship of these two organizations, and the collaborations across their memberships that have over several decades produced many beautiful places.

The ICAA mission of recovering a building design language and its craft has been reinforced by the parallel focus on traditional urban design of the New Urbanism. New Urban communities have provided a welcoming context for traditional architecture, extending its presence beyond the individual building to the creation of a sense of place.

The slides in Lizz’s presentation illustrated classical architecture in recently designed traditional urban settings, including Charles Barrett’s gate in Providence, RI, Steve Mouzon’s buildings in Providence, AL, and Scott Merrill’s building in Alys Beach.

I’On development in SC (DPZ and Dover Kohl)

In addition to the beautiful projects, Lizz touched upon the ‘wicked problems’ of the time which designers and architects are addressing, showing examples of designs for affordable housing, rebuilding in response to catastrophes, and adaptation to climate change impacts. The conference also included tours of historic buildings and urbanism in Charleston and surrounding areas — including I’On, where Andres Duany and developer Vince Graham led a guided tour.

DPZ Summer Newsletter 2023

Top to bottom: DPZ CNU-31 #NotABooth; Andres Duany at CNU-31; Andres presents “Learning from the Future” lecture at CNU-31; DPZers enjoying Charlotte, NC; Tom Low’s garden party at CNU-31

It’s hard to believe that we are past the halfway point of 2023. Since our last news round-up DPZ has been busy with new projects, updates to master plans that are underway, plus various conferences and events. The three offices have been conducting charrettes and active with several CNU activities, including a strong presence at this past May’s annual conference in Charlotte, NC. The well-attended conference hosted over 1,000 New Urbanists, many of them enthusiastic new faces.

And speaking of new faces, this summer DPZ has been also excited to host several interns at our offices in Miami and Puerto Rico. The annual tradition not only offers useful assistance and fresh eyes with our projects, but also an opportunity for the firm to help teach and nurture the next generation of New Urbanists.

DPZ CNU-31 #NotABooth

CNU 31 – Charlotte, NC

At CNU-31, DPZ went to listen, present, and reconnect. The reconnection occurred at our #NotABooth, a hub for coffee, conversation, and networking between sessions. Old friends and new interacted with DPZ team members over Cuban cafecito at what quickly became a favorite spot on the booth floor.

Andrés Duany participated in no less than 6 sessions, including his Learning from the Future and Urbanism for a Difficult Future, both featuring some of his innovative community design counter-proposals to recent high-profile, smart city projects that attempt to address global challenges. Not far behind CNU Board member Matt Lambert contributed to 5 sessions, including a couple where he helped present climate migration studies and other research by PLACE Initiative, a group he helped found with young CNUers dedicated to exploring the intersection of climate change and equity issues. At another session Marina Khoury and Galina Tachieva presented several of our recent corridor projects from Saudi Arabia to South Florida demonstrating innovations in coding and climate change response.

Top to bottom: interactive urban art in Downtown Charlotte; CNU-31 Opening Party; DPZ’s Vermillion

In between, DPZers visited several of the great Charlotte-area neighborhoods like Myers Park, Dilworth, and South End. Venturing north of the city, some of our attendees checked out two vintage DPZ projects from the 1990s: the village of Vermillion in Huntersville, and the town center neighborhoods of Cornelius.

As we admired the volume of research and wealth of New Urbanist built projects that was put on display in Charlotte, DPZ was also proud to witness the participation and recognition of talented DPZ alumni. Frequent collaborator and co-author, Jeff Speck was the recipient of two Charter Awards, while Demetri Baches and Mallory Baches, directors/ co-founders of the former DPZ-Pacific affiliate, were honored with a Charter Award as well.

We will also take this opportunity to belatedly congratulate Mallory on being appointed as the new CNU President earlier this year. Meanwhile, another former DPZer, Mike Lydon, was named to the CNU Board.

Lastly, we also celebrate the hard behind-the-scenes work of current DPZer, partner Matt Lambert, for not only contributing to the success of CNU 31, but especially on being named the new Chair of the CNU Board.

The 5-Minute Neighborhood, 15-Minute City, and 20-Minute Suburb

30 years ago the New Urbanism first proposed a neighborhood of a quarter-mile radius, known now as the “5-minute neighborhood”. More recently, the “15-minute city” began receiving much attention and gave sustainable community design renewed vigor. Despite media controversy earlier this year concerning fears about restricted car usage, the focus of this concept remains on walkability and compact development. Worth including in this conversation is the reality of sub-urban distances to retail and community amenities. This inspires a new term: the “20-minute suburb”.

Click here to read more.

Office Hires

2023 DPZ Summer Interns

DPZ has been excited to work with four interns this summer. We want to acknowledge the energy and contributions they brought to our work.

Soon to be completing his Master of Urban Design at the University of Miami this month, Jayvil Patel hails from India where he is a licensed architect.

Jan Deion (JD) Pagarigan came to DPZ after graduating this past May with a Bachelor of Architectural Science from Andrews University where he was president of the AIAS chapter.

Meanwhile, Karla Fidalgo is a rising third-year student at the University of Miami who plans to receive her Bachelor of Architecture (and French) in May of 2026. She is a member of Students for Classical Architecture.

Finally, also returning to school this fall, Puerto Rico native Charlie Crawford hopes to complete his Master of Architecture degree at Tulane University next spring. He has been interning this summer with our DC office’s outpost in Puerto Rico while researching his hometown of Aguadilla for his thesis project.

Project Updates

Arches Bayfront – Fort Myers Beach, FL

Three Corners – Vero Beach, FL

Aria – Sandy Springs, GA

In the Press

Awards

From Andrés Duany