Regional and Urban Design Committee

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Who we are

The Regional and Urban Design Committee (RUDC) aims to improve the quality of the regional and urban environment by promoting excellence in design, planning, and public policy in the built environment. This will be achieved through its member and public education, in concert with allied community and professional groups. Join us!

2024 Symposium

The 2024 symposium will be held in Indianapolis, IN in November. Stay tuned for dates and location. Registration will open in July.

2023 RUDC Symposium

The RUDC Symposium, held in Washington, DC October 19-20, covered emerging trends, theories, and technologies that are shaping the future of regional and urban design. Watch the engaging highlight and speaker videos >.

Can only growing cities prosper?

  • 1.  Can only growing cities prosper?

    Posted 06-01-2023 08:20 AM

    Can Only Growing Cities Prosper?

     No matter how much unfettered growth is blamed for its impact on the climate, there is no doubt that growing cities do much better than their shrinking peers.

    Toronto waterfront (Photo: Philipsen)

    My shrinking hometown of Baltimore is continually a source of concern. So many problems are rooted in the conundrum that the fixed and aging infrastructure of the legacy city  has to be maintained by an ever shrinking pool of residents that have to foot the bills. The sky high local property taxes, the empty houses and the crumbling streets and bridges set in motion a downward spiral, deterring people coming to town and motivating existing residents to leave. 

    Recent trips to Rotterdam and Toronto leave me green with envy. Toronto is growing somewhere between 80,000 or 130,000 residents per year and is said to boast the most cranes anywhere in North America, even more than Austin, Vancouver or Phoenix. The surge in population not only flushes funds into city coffers, but also provides a pipeline of talent not only for private enterprises but also for government agencies that have to manage the growth. This type of influx stimulates creativity, experimentation and creative design in planning and architecture. In my visits to Rotterdam and Toronto I was taken aback by the spirit of "can-do" optimism and the scale of projects those cities are undertaking to cope with their growth.

    Baltimore waterfront (Photo: Philipsen)

    The steady influx of new people shields these cities effectively from the issues that keep mayors of less fortunate cities awake at night...READ FULL ARTICLE HERE



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    [Klaus] Philipsen FAIA
    Archplan Inc. Philipsen Architects
    Baltimore MD
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