Ray and Maria Stata Center, designed by Frank Gehry, photo from (Harmony and Home)Planetizen had a link to the following article out of England, Amanda Levete: why architects know best. The article suggests that architects should be making all land use decisions and that planners, in particular citizen planners, were not capable of making sound decisions.
The proposition that citizens cannot make the appropriate decisions for their communities seems outlandish. As a professional planner, I feel properly versed in advising my citizen planners on local committees. However, only having a professional attachment to the communities I have either worked in or for, I would hardly feel positioned to be the final arbiter on the tastes of the community.
I have worked with many architects, as with most professionals, they have their beliefs as to what is best. These beliefs often do not mesh with zoning controls or neighborhood style. Even the article suggests that contemporary style is lost under the current citizen planning regime. Perhaps, contemporary styles are not what the community wants, but instead wants to connect with its historic style.
I also found it interesting that this article came out about the same time the Boston Globe Magazine ran the following, In praise of ugly buildings, an article about how the much detested architecture in downtown Boston represented the "contemporary style" of its era.
The proposition that citizens cannot make the appropriate decisions for their communities seems outlandish. As a professional planner, I feel properly versed in advising my citizen planners on local committees. However, only having a professional attachment to the communities I have either worked in or for, I would hardly feel positioned to be the final arbiter on the tastes of the community.
I have worked with many architects, as with most professionals, they have their beliefs as to what is best. These beliefs often do not mesh with zoning controls or neighborhood style. Even the article suggests that contemporary style is lost under the current citizen planning regime. Perhaps, contemporary styles are not what the community wants, but instead wants to connect with its historic style.
I also found it interesting that this article came out about the same time the Boston Globe Magazine ran the following, In praise of ugly buildings, an article about how the much detested architecture in downtown Boston represented the "contemporary style" of its era.
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