Spring 2017 lectures to feature leading land developers, planners

Experts in land development, transportation, urban sustainability and history will share their knowledge in the spring 2017 Texas A&M Department of Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning lecture series.

All lectures are open to the public and no registration is required.

Feb. 10

Aggie Leadership in Community Development

The series begins 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 10, 2017, at the [Annenberg Presidential Conference Center] (https://www.google.com/maps/place/Annenberg+Presidential+Conference+Center,+College+Station,+TX+77840/@30.5973706,-96.3557921,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x86468308b333497d:0x518ca77e033781b!8m2!3d30.5974352!4d-96.3536026) on the Texas A&M campus with “Aggie Leadership in Community Development,” a sequence of lectures by former students who are executives and leaders at [Caldwell Companies] (http://caldwellcos.com) , a real estate investment, development, brokerage and management group.

Fred Caldwell , the firm’s CEO and president, Peter Barnhart , executive vice president and partner and a Bachelor of [Construction Science] (http://cosc.arch.tamu.edu) graduate, and additional company leaders will discuss the lessons they’ve learned in real estate development and marketing, the value of a graduate degree in a real estate career, and additional topics.

The slate of speakers includes Yi Xue, who earned [Master of Landscape Architecture] (http://laup.arch.tamu.edu/academics/graduate/mla/) and [Master of Land Property Development] (http://laup.arch.tamu.edu/academics/graduate/mlpd/) degrees in 2012 and 2014, respectively.

Formed in 1990, Caldwell Companies operates in suburban Houston and Bryan-College Station in residential and commercial markets.

The firm, its subsidiary companies and related partnerships own, develop, manage and market office, industrial, retail and land properties, residential communities and business parks.

Its master planned residential communities are some of the region’s leading real estate properties, including [Towne Lake] (http://townelaketexas.com) , a development surrounding one of the largest private recreational lakes in the Houston area.

The company’s commercial development projects include Remington Square, a 200,000 square-foot office and retail space in a park setting in Northwest Houston built according to [Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design] (http://www.usgbc.org/leed) standards.

March 22

Rethinking Streets: An Evidence-Based Guide to 25 Complete Street Transformations and The Sustainable Urban Design Framework

Marc Schlossberg , professor of urban planning public policy and management at the University of Oregon, presents “Rethinking Streets” and Nico Larco , associate professor of architecture at UO, presents “The Sustainable Urban Design Framework” at 2 p.m., Wednesday, March 22, 2017, in the Technical Reference Center, Langford A.

In his book, “ [Rethinking Streets: An Evidence-Based Guide to 25 Complete Street Transformations] (http://pages.uoregon.edu/schlossb/ftp/RS/RethinkingStreets_All_V2_high_wCover.pdf) ,” Schlossberg and three co-authors present examples of city streets redesigned to make them more pedestrian and bike friendly that in some cases spurred private investment, creating vibrant new shopping districts.

Schlossberg studies sustainable transportation, especially retrofitting communities to better support biking and walking.

Larco, who heads a small design practice and sustainability-focused consultancy in Portland, developed the Sustainable Urban Design Framework, a guide for urban designers to create and evaluate a design by identifying sustainability goals and metrics.

His concept is similar to “green” rating systems,  such as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, for sustainable building design and construction.

Larco and Schossberg are co-founding co-directors of the [Sustainable Cities Initiative] (https://sci.uoregon.edu/homepage) , a UO-based multidisciplinary think tank that focuses on urban sustainable architecture, transportation, marginalized communities and local and state policies that affect urban areas.

April 4

American Curves: Nature, Race and the Origins of the Modern Highway

Thomas Campanella , professor of city planning at Cornell University, presents “American Curves: Nature, Race and the Origins of the Modern Highway,” at 3:30 p.m., Tuesday, April 4, 2017 in the Technical Reference Center, Langford A.

Campanella will explore the historical roots of the modern American highway, examine the individuals who brought it into being and unpack the design ideals that helped shape an infrastructure that changed the nation.

A historian of city planning and the urban built environment, Campanella seeks to explain the numerous people and forces that have shaped urban landscapes around the world.

He is researching the development of New York City’s several hundred parks, playgrounds and natural areas as a historian-in-residence  at the city’s Department of Parks and Recreation.