Koolhaas Criticizes New Urbanists

Architect and cultural critic Rem Koolhass criticized New Urbanism and planned communities Friday at a panel at the Graduate School of Design (GSD).

The three-day conference, titled "Exploring (New) Urbanism," addressed the future of the American city. Panels of academics, professional architects and designers, journalists, government figures and developers discussed urban sprawl, livable communities and growth planning.

Conference organizer Alex Krieger, chair of the Department of Urban Planning at the GSD, offered a critique of the New Urbanism movement.

New Urbanism, a philosophy of urban planning that has emerged in recent decades as an alternative to suburban sprawl, advocates denser housing, mixed commercial and residential areas, pedestrian friendliness and viable city centers.

Instead of focusing its energies on rehabilitating existing city centers, the New Urbanism movement has concentrated on constructing new planned communities.

"We should focus our energies and resources more on supporting the renewed interest in the American city than on building 'new' urban developments on [undeveloped] outskirts," he said.

Krieger also moderated an informal debate between New Urbanism pioneer Andres Duany and noted Dutch architect Koolhaas, founder of the Office for Metropolitan Architecture in Rotterdam, and author of Small, Medium, Large, Extra-Large, a book he describes as an "architectural novel."

Duany is best known as the designer of Seaside, Fla., the preeminent New Urbanist community where the Oscar nominated Truman Show was filmed.

Koolhaas, an architect and cultural SPEECHand tough."

According to Catherine A. McLaughlin, deputydirector of the IOP, Donaldson--whose daughter isa student at the KSG--was invited to speak inresponse to student suggestions earlier thissemester.

Ram C. Gowda '02 said he enjoyed the speech.

"Even though I'm not a big fan of Donaldson'swork on This Week, I was very impressed by hiscandor and honesty about his job and the media,"Gowda said.

But KSG student Jon Scott said Donaldson tookthe media's responsibilities too lightly.

"[The media] has a lot more power than heseemed willing to acknowledge," Scott said.

Despite the criticism leveled againstreporters, Donaldson said he is optimistic aboutthe future of journalism.

"We do make mistakes," he said. "But I thinkthat journalism today is better than it ever hasbeen. [Young journalists] are better-educated andsmarter today, and they've seen more of theworld.

According to Catherine A. McLaughlin, deputydirector of the IOP, Donaldson--whose daughter isa student at the KSG--was invited to speak inresponse to student suggestions earlier thissemester.

Ram C. Gowda '02 said he enjoyed the speech.

"Even though I'm not a big fan of Donaldson'swork on This Week, I was very impressed by hiscandor and honesty about his job and the media,"Gowda said.

But KSG student Jon Scott said Donaldson tookthe media's responsibilities too lightly.

"[The media] has a lot more power than heseemed willing to acknowledge," Scott said.

Despite the criticism leveled againstreporters, Donaldson said he is optimistic aboutthe future of journalism.

"We do make mistakes," he said. "But I thinkthat journalism today is better than it ever hasbeen. [Young journalists] are better-educated andsmarter today, and they've seen more of theworld.