Session 9 / Chicago Live Program: A City is for the People: New Collaboration Models for the Built Environment

Jaron Lubin
Partner
Safdie Architects, Boston

Living in quarantine in 2020 has highlighted the glaring importance of well-designed buildings, requiring those of us living, particularly in cities, to pause and ask—is this working? After all, whom amongst us is not entirely depressed by the quality of our living arrangements now that we are suddenly trapped inside our homes? The best buildings are designed around people. We seek daylight and space to socialize and to spread out. We require outdoor spaces as much as we require indoor ones. We find joy in changing our environment, moving from one place to another efficiently.

With a new focus on our physical space—how it shapes our every day, and impacts our long term mental and physical health and well-being—we can take this moment to move towards a more humane city, with housing, office, and public spaces that prioritize people's quality of life. Aside from innovative designs, what policies can be put in place that will allow us to rethink our built environment? What is the role of the city planner and the city authority to guaranteeing a minimum standard of living? How can developers be incentivized to provide certain features and amenities, without sacrificing their pro formas?