Editor’s Note:
The entrance to Miami Dade College's Chapman Conference Center is on NE 4th Street between 2nd Avenue and Biscayne Boulevard. Complementary parking will be available with printed invitation in garage on NE 6th Street between 1st and 2nd Avenues.
URBAN AGE DIRECTOR RICKY BURDETT TO ADDRESS THE FUTURE OF CITIES AS PART OF “DAWNTOWN 2007” AT MIAMI DADE COLLEGE WOLFSON CAMPUS
MIAMI – December 5, 2007 – Ricky Burdett, a world-renowned figure in the field of urban planning and expert on the interactions among cities, society, and the environment, will headline DawnTown 2007, an annual architecture event held in Downtown Miami during Art Basel Miami Beach. Burdett, who serves as Director of the Urban Age program at the London School of Economics (LSE) and Chief Architecture Advisor for the London 2012 Olympics, and was Director of the 2006 Venice Architecture Biennale, will deliver a free public lecture on the future of cities on Friday, Dec. 7, at 10 a.m. at Miami Dade College's (MDC) Chapman Conference Center in the heart of Downtown Miami.
The topic of Burdett's lecture will be how the shape of large cities around the world affects the lives of over three billion urban dwellers and the future of our planet as a whole, touching on how architecture affects democracy, public spaces as places of tolerance and integration, public transportation as a form of social and economic justice, and the relationships among density, urban design, good governance, and sustainability.
"Ricky Burdett's research on contemporary urban life has produced unique and important perspectives on how cities have changed and will continue to evolve throughout the 21st century," said Terry Riley, Director of the Miami Art Museum. "Anyone interested in knowing how Miami fits into this global perspective will find Burdett's presentation compelling."
Burdett's lecture will be followed by responses from Miami urban experts Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, Dean of the University of Miami School of Architecture; architect Bernard Zyscovich; and Andres Viglucci, urban affairs writer for the Miami Herald. The panelists will highlight ideas from Burdett's speech that could help Miami better plan for its future.
DawnTown 2007, presented by the Miami Art Museum, the Miami Downtown Development Authority, and Miami Dade College, and sponsored by the Knight Foundation, the City of Miami, Complot Magazine, the Urban Land Institute, and Akerman Senterfitt, will be a rare opportunity to hear cutting-edge, global ideas in urban planning, and have those ideas applied to Miami, an international crossroad that is in the midst of Downtown revitalization.
DawnTown is an annual architecture and urban planning event that takes place in Downtown Miami during Art Basel Miami Beach. It was created to attract local and international Art Basel Miami Beach attendees who are also passionate about architecture and urban planning, and to bring the latest thinking in these fields from around the world to Downtown Miami. To RSVP, please contact Geraldine Guerra at 305-237-3222 or gguerra@mdc.edu.
About the Miami Art Museum (MAM):
MAM is dedicated to engaging the public with art from the twentieth century through the present. Since its founding in 1996, the Museum has built a collection of contemporary art with the goal of providing Miami with a legacy for future generations. MAM's collection has grown exponentially since Art in America called it "the quintessential Miami collection" in 1999. For more information, visit miamiartmuseum.org.
About the Miami Downtown Development Authority (Miami DDA):
The Miami DDA, founded in 1965, is a public-private, non-profit business organization that strives to develop Miami's downtown area as the most livable urban center in America, making it the preferred international destination for commerce, culture, tourism and urban living. For more information, visit www.miamidda.com.
About Miami Dade College (MDC):
MDC, founded in 1960, is the largest institution of higher education in the country, with an enrollment of more than 165,000 students. The college’s eight campuses and outreach centers offer more than 200 distinct degree, certificate, licensing, and workforce training programs, many of which are national models. For more information, visit mdc.edu.
Media Contacts:
Tadd Schwartz (305) 807-3612
Tadd@Schwartz-Media.com
Andrew Frey (305) 982-5510
Andrew.Frey@Akerman.com
Juan C. Mendieta (305) 237-7611
jmendiet@mdc.edu