The workshops will provide a valuable resource to public agencies and major property owners by providing big-picture design thinking that supports larger planning and public outreach processes. Modeled on programs such as the National Endowment for the Arts Mayors’ Institute on City Design, Urban Land Institute SWAT team workshops, and the AIA’s RUDAT program, the BSA Urban Design Workshops (UDW) will pull together professional experts to provide a holistic design-focused look at a particular urban area.

The BSA is hosting a two-day workshop that will focus on the urban design issues raised by the prospective redesign of the Allston/Cambridge interchange in Beacon Yards. The workshop is being organized by Tim Love AIA, BSA president-elect. In addition, two public presentations will take place in conjunction with the event. The first, on September 16, will provide an overview of the workshop objectives. The second, on September 18, will present workshop results.

Two interdisciplinary teams, composed of designers from various firms and disciplines and led by Alex Krieger of NBBJ and Kishore Varanasi of CBT Architects, will each produce a draft comprehensive plan for Beacon Yards site that fully leverages the city building opportunities of the proposed interchange realignment.

Schedule:

• Tuesday, September 16th, 6:30 pm at BSA Space: Kick-off Panel Discussion, moderated by Renee Loth. (open to the public). Panelists include: Paul McMorrow, associate editor at Commonwealth Magazine and Boston Globe columnist, and Matthew Urbanski, principal at Michael Van Valkenberg Associaties, among others. (1.5 LU available.)
• Wednesday, September 17th, and Thursday, September 18th: Workshop with the two professional teams.
• Thursday, September 18th, 4:00 pm at Jackson Mann Community Center, Theater Room, 500 Cambridge Street, Allston: Presentations by the two teams of their proposals. (open to the public)

The Beacon Yards Urban Design Workshop is the first in a series of planned urban design workshops that will follow a similar format. Anticipated future topics include housing and affordability, the future of the workplace, and the urban realm.