Urban Acupuncture: Freedom By Design Exhibit and Panel Discussion

Urban Acupuncture is an event intended to celebrate the power of small interventions and their large impact in communities throughout the public realm. This evening will be filled with exciting insights from students participating in Freedom By Design—the AIAS design-build program—as they showcase their ongoing or finished projects throughout their communities. Followed by this exhibit, we will host a set of professionals that throughout their careers have impacted communities through architecture, design, and activism. Join us in celebrating small interventions shaping the public realm, led by both emerging and experienced professionals in the field!

Speakers:
Jenna Miller, AIA, RA, LEED AP BD+C, Co-Founder, RUEd’ ARCH; NYC Public Design Commission Director, Urban Design + Policy
John Peterson, Director, Educator, Activist; Founder, Public Architecture

About the Speakers:
Jenna Miller is the Director of Urban Design and Policy at the Public Design Commission (PDC), where she leads the development and implementation of design policies and guidelines with a focus on the public realm, new technology, security, equity, and justice. A LEED Accredited Professional and co-founder of RUEd’ ARCH LLC, she has extensive experience designing and managing public and private architectural projects both in the US and internationally. At PDC, she oversees project review operations, geospatial analysis, and publications on urban design and public space, including the PDC Annual Report. She spearheaded Designing New York: Streetscapes for Wellness and frequently presents on spatial and social justice in the public realm. Through her work, Jenna is dedicated to fostering equity, engagement, and excellence in design.

John Peterson, architect, educator, and activist, serves as Curator of the Loeb Fellowship and is the founder of Public Architecture, a national nonprofit based in San Francisco. The organization’s 1+ program encourages architecture and design rms to dedicate at least 1% of their time to pro bono services for nonprofits, with over 1,500 rms participating nationwide. Public Architecture’s work, including the ScrapHouse—a house built entirely from salvaged materials—has been featured in national and international media, including a National Geographic Channel documentary. In 2010, it was the subject of a Harvard Business School case study and has garnered support from numerous major funders.

Schedule
4:00pm – 6:00pm: Gallery Showcase 
6:00pm – 7:30pm: Panel Discussion 
7:30pm – 8:00pm: Networking and Closing