On Cities

HEROIC: Concrete Architecture and the New Boston

In this next episode of ON CITIES, host Carie Penabad speaks with architect and educator, Mark Pasnik on his co-authored book: HEROIC: Concrete Architecture and the New Boston. The conversation explores the post war architectural movement (commonly referred to as Brutalism) and the groundbreaking concrete structures that re-imagined the City of Boston during the 1960s and 1970s. Beyond a mere architectural trend, this period reflects an urban transformation driven by public investment, resulting in a diverse array of civic, cultural and academic landmarks that epitomize concrete modernism. The discussion unveils some of the era's most iconic structures, like the Boston City Hall and Harvard's Carpenter Center, while tackling the period's troubled urban histories and the challenges of preserving these landmarks in the face of contemporary pressures for development and renovation. :Mark Pasnik is a professor of architecture at Wentworth Institute of Technology and a founding principal of the architecture and design firm OverUnder. He co-authored Heroic: Concrete Architecture and the New Boston with Michael Kubo and Chris Grimley and edited the books Henry N. Cobb: Words and Works 1948–2018 and Justice Is Beauty: MASS Design Group. Mark has received the AIA Young Architects Award and recognition for his scholarship from the Graham Foundation, Docomomo US, the Boston Preservation Alliance, Historic New England, and the Boston Society of Architects. He has taught previously at the California College of the Arts, Carnegie Mellon University, Harvard University, Northeastern University, and the Rhode Island School of Design. In addition to his scholarly work, Mark maintains an active professional practice with projects including a conservation management plan for Boston City Hall and adaptive re-use of athletic facilities at the University of Massachusetts. Mark serves as chair of the Boston Art Commission and was selected in 2020 as an Out100 honoree, a designation which recognizes "culture-shifting impact" by members of the LGBTQ+ community.

SHoP ARCHITECTS: Transforming How We Build

In this next episode of ON CITIES, host Carie Penabad speaks with Gregg Pasquarelli, founding principal of the renowned architectural firm, SHoP Architects. We will explore how SHoP is challenging both the means and methods for how we design and produce buildings, as well as the archaic structures that guide the practice of architecture today. Pasquarelli will share insights into the firm's iconic buildings, highlighting the fusion of creativity, technology and technical precision that defines the work. Do not miss the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the transformative power of architecture in our ever- evolving world. Gregg received a Bachelor of Science from the School of Business at Villanova University and a Masters of Architecture from Columbia University. He co-founded the firm of SHoP Architects in 1997 and since that time, the firm has grown from a small design studio based in New York, to a leading architectural practice with a global footprint. I would like to highlight a few of the firm's notable projects including-------the Barclays Center at Atlantic Yards in Brooklyn, the two-mile esplanade and park along the East River Waterfront in New York, the Innovation Hub government complex in Botswana, the Supertall pencil tower at 111 W 57th Street and projects for Google and UBER headquarters. In addition to his active professional practice, Gregg is an Adjunct Associate Professor of Architecture at Columbia University. He has also taught at Yale, UVA and the University of Florida. He has lectured globally and has been featured in leading periodicals worldwide.

Japan Stories: History & Transformations

In this next episode of ON CITIES, host Carie Penabad engages in a lively conversation with renowned educator and architecture Mohsen Mostafavi. Together, they delve into the rich tapestry of Japan's social and physical environments, exploring their historical underpinnings, current practices and future possibilities. Throughout its history, the Japanese city ahs served as a complex canvas for a multitude of influences and aspirations. Our discussion will explore how these forces have left their marks on the urban landscape, and what the future of the Japanese city may look like. Mohsen Mostafavi is currently the Alexander and Victoria Wiley Professor of Design and Harvard University Distinguished Service Professor. He also served as Dean of the Harvard Graduate School of Design from 2008-2019. His work focuses on modes and processes of urbanization and on the interface between technology and aesthetics. He was formerly the Gale and Ira Drukier Dean of the College of Architecture, Art and Planning at Cornell University where he was also the Arthur L. and Isabel B. Wiesenberger Professor in Architecture. Previously, he was the Chairman of the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London. He studied architecture at the AA, and undertook research on counter-reformation urban history at the Universities of Essex and Cambridge. Mostafavi is a Trustee of Smith College, an Honorary Trustee of the Norman Foster Foundation, and served on the Board of the Van Alen Institute as well as the Steering Committee and the Jury of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture. His research and design projects have been published in numerous journals, and he has authored or co-authored more than a dozen books including Landscape Urbanism: A Manual for the Machinic Landscape (2004); Ecological Urbanism (co-edited with Gareth Doherty) and which was recently translated into Chinese, Portuguese, and Spanish); In the Life of Cities (2012); Ethics of the Urban: The City and the Spaces of the Political (2017); Sharing Tokyo: Artifice and the Social World and his forthcoming book: Reinventing Japan.

Cities & Well-Being: Is Urban Design a Matter of Public Health?

In this next episode of ON CITIES, host Carie Penabad speaks with Neuroscientist Colin Ellard, whose work is at the intersection of psychology, architecture and urban design. Through his research, Ellard reveals how our surroundings directly impact our psychological well-being, offering a unique perspective on how we can create more harmonious and engaging environments for our communities. Tune in Friday, October 6th at 11:00 AM EST on the Voice America network for an enlightening conversation that promises to reveal the profound connections between our brains and the spaces we inhabit https://www.voiceamerica.com/show/4119/on-cities [https://www.voiceamerica.com/show/4119/on-cities]. Colin Ellard is a cognitive neuroscientist at the University of Waterloo in Canada and director of its Urban Realities Laboratory, where he works at the intersection of urban design and experimental psychology. He also partners with architects, museums and other NGOs on projects to enrich public debate about the built environment. Beyond his research and teachings, Ellard is the author of Places of the Heart: The Psychogeography of Everyday Life (2015) and Where am I? Why We Can Find Our Way to the Moon but Get Lost in the Mall (2014).

Low Carbon Cities

In this episode of ON CITIES, host Carie Penabad will be speaking with Hèléne Chartier, Director of Urban Planning and Design at C40 Cities, a leading global organization dedicated to sustainable urban development. At the forefront of urban sustainability, C40 works tirelessly to forge a path towards Low Carbon Cities, our episode's central theme. We will delve into the organization's mission and explore best practice from around the world aimed at creating greener, more sustainable and environmentally conscious cities. Tune in Friday, September 8th at 11:00 AM EST, 8:00 AM PST on the Voice America Variety Channel https://www.voiceamerica.com/show/4119/on-cities ; and find all previous episodes on Spotify, Apple iTunes or your favorite podcast platform. Hélène Chartier is the Director of Urban Planning and Design at C40. The team she leads develops programs and activities that support cities to accelerate sustainable and resilient urban planning policies and design practices. Her team leads the C40 Land Use Planning Network, which supports cities to institutionalize climate action through urban planning regulations; the Reinventing Cities competition, which delivers decarbonised and resilient urban regeneration projects; as well as the Green and Thriving Neighbourhoods programme and C40's workstream on 15-minute cities. Hélène previously served as an advisor to the Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo. She also worked for the Paris Urbanism Agency and the global consulting firm Arup. Hélène holds a Master's degree in science and engineering from the École Centrale with a specialization in building and civil engineering. In the past 15 years, Hélène has lived and worked in Paris, London and New York.