Fostering Innovative Civic Leadership
Inspiring Design: Creating Beautiful, Just, and Resilient Places in America

Hosted in partnership with the Northeastern University School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs and the Kitty and Michael Dukakis Center for Urban and Regional Policy as a part of its 2021 Spring Myra Kraft Open Classroom, Inspiring Design: Creating Beautiful, Just, and Resilient Places in America explores the role of design in cities.

The series is presented in partnership with the Association of Architecture Organizations, Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture, Boston Society for Architecture, and the Boston Society of Landscape Architects.

La Kretz Innovation Campus + Arts District Park (2017 RBA Silver Medalist) is part of the City of Los Angeles’ ongoing efforts to position itself as a sustainable city and leader in clean technology. Designed to foster creativity and innovation, the clean tech incubator and demonstration facility is the product of collaborative partnership between city agencies, local research universities and businesses, and the nation’s largest publicly owned utility company. John Friedman Alice Kimm Architects’ Founding Co-Principal Alice Kimm joined Kelli Bernard, former Deputy Mayor of Economic Development for the City of Los Angeles (and current Chief Executive for the Los Angeles Metro Area for AECOM), and Ben Stapleton, former Chief Operating Officer of La Kretz Innovation Campus (and current Executive Director of USGBC-LA), for a discussion about how the ambitious vision for the campus was realized through its design, development, and programs.

Learning Objectives:

  • Understand and describe how investment in innovation and clean technology can address community welfare and affect economic, environmental, and social change.
  • Discuss the value of collaborative, public private partnerships in urban planning, design, and development and how they advance innovation.
  • Identify and describe examples of clean tech initiatives that offer environmental benefits, create jobs, and strengthen communities.
  • Describe the components of a business incubator and how design can foster collaboration, creativity and engagement.

This session was recorded on Wednesday, March 10th, 2021 as part of Northeastern University’s Myra Kraft Open Classroom 2021 Spring series. ASLA and APA continuing education credits are available thanks to partnerships with Boston Society of Landscape Architects and the American Planning Association, Ohio Chapter.

Panelists
Alice Kimm is co-founder of John Friedman Alice Kimm Architects (JFAK) in Downtown Los Angeles. JFAK’s work spans education and institutional facilities, creative commercial ventures, housing and houses, as well as civic environments. Alice has been responsible for a variety of JFAK’s award-winning projects, including La Kretz Innovation Campus. Alice holds a BA in Economics from Cornell and an MArch from Harvard, and is a longtime educator who served as USC’s Director of Undergraduate Architecture from 2010-2014. Alice was named a 2004 Emerging Voice by the Architectural League of New York alongside John Friedman, and elected to AIA Fellowship in 2010.

Kelli Bernard, Chief Executive for the Los Angeles Metro Area, AECOM
Kelli Bernard is an Executive Vice President and leads the cities initiative at AECOM.  Prior to joining AECOM, Kelli served as the deputy mayor of economic development for Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti.  Formerly the director of economic development at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, Kelli led the department’s Clean Technology Initiative that culminated in the development of the $40M La Kretz Innovation Campus. Kelli is also the former chair of the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA).  She holds a master’s degree in Urban Planning from UCLA, and a BA in Sociology from UC Berkeley.

Ben Stapleton, Executive Director, USGBC-LA
A native Angeleno and a recognized sustainability leader, Ben Stapleton is currently the Executive Director for USGBC-LA. Previously, Ben launched and managed the La Kretz Innovation Campus in Downtown Los Angeles, most recently serving as SVP, Operations & Finance, for the LA Cleantech Incubator (LACI). Ben is the former Managing Director of the LA Better Buildings Challenge and the former Vice President & Cleantech Practice Group Lead at JLL. He has also served on the boards of LA Bioscience Hub and USGBC-LA. Ben holds an MBA from USC’s Marshall School of Business and a BA in Economics from UCLA.

Anne-Marie Lubenau (moderator), FAIA, is the director of the Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence at the Bruner Foundation in Cambridge, Massachusetts. An architect, educator and writer, she is an advocate for engaging people in the design of the built environment and increasing awareness of its impact on our lives. She contributes regularly to national and international publications and forums on design and urban development and is a member of the Boston Civic Design Commission, Harvard GSD Alumni Council, and the Association of Architecture Organization’s board of directors. She holds a BArch from Carnegie Mellon and was a 2012 Harvard Loeb Fellow.

Ted Landsmark (facilitator) is a Distinguished Professor of Public Policy and Urban Affairs; Director, Kitty and Michael Dukakis Center for Urban and Regional Policy at Northeastern University. Ted is an architect, attorney, academic, and civil rights activist who serves as one of five members of the Boston Planning and Development Agency.

 

 

RESOURCES

La Kretz Innovation Campus + Arts District Park Case Study (2017 RBA Silver Medalist)

La Kretz Innovation Campus + Arts District Park. Courtesy Benny Chan/Fotoworks.
  • La Kretz Innovation Campus + Arts District Park was designed to foster creativity and innovation, the clean tech incubator and demonstration facility is the product of collaborative partnership between city agencies, local research universities and businesses, and the nation’s largest publicly owned utility company. For more information about La Kretz Innovation Campus + Arts District Park check out the Rudy Bruner Award case study to learn about the project’s urban context and history, leadership and vision, collaborative partnerships, design and development, financing, operations and programming, and impact.

AECOM Inclusive Infrastructure Article

AECOM on Inclusive Infrastructure article on race and equity. Courtesy of Kelli Bernard.