Harvard's new Dean at the Graduate School of Design

The new dean of Harvard’s Graduate School of Design Mohsen Mostafavi takes a serious interest in "urbanism" which he describes as "dealing with the city in its broadest sense... with the variety of issues that are connected with the urban condition." He also seems to have a social awareness that could have a positive influence on plans for Harvard's Allston expansion.

New Harvard dean has designs on our future - The Boston Globe

"I think there's a great deal of fascination these days with more socially based, activist forms of practice. I think the students are more and more conscious of both the significance of signature architecture but at the same time, the potential alternatives to that form of practice. So, specifically, how can we be ethically responsible and also not sacrifice the commitment to design?"

Speaking of urbanists, good things about Kairos Shen keep coming up. He only made a couple appearances last year during the review of the Science Complex but now he seems fully committed to the future of North Allston and North Brighton. One source of high praise for Kairos comes from Brent Toderian, the Director of Planning for the City of Vancouver. The planning and general urban excellence of Vancouver is widely recognized, so it is great to read Vancouver's planning director write about Kairos's "brilliant urban mind".