EnVISIONing Annapolis

EnVISIONing Annapolis is a privately funded lecture series and visioning charrette for Annapolis, Maryland, that aims to generate dialogue on responsible, long-term development of the city. The organization backing this process, the EnVISIONing Annapolis Foundation, was formed solely for this purpose. Important contributors and co-sponsors include the University of Maryland, Annapolis Charter 300, and St. Johns College. The key consultants on the project included MS&R Architects (Garth Rockcastle and Troy Urman), Charles Landry, Miriam Gusevich, Glenn Smith, and Paul Emmons.

Conversations for Change

The EnVISIONing Annapolis project began with a series of free, public lectures held in Annapolis from September 2007 through June 2008. The speakers at these lectures included be leading experts in the fields of urban planning, urban design, public transportation, immigration, and historic preservation. These lectures were intended to stimulate civic dialogue among residents and outsiders regarding the urban sprawl and development issues facing the 21st-century American city. The lectures were mostly held at the Maryland Hall Center for Creative Arts, with one being held at The Boys and Girls Club of Annapolis.

The lecturing consultants included notable author and international consultant Charles Landry, Jason Sartori from the National Center for Smart Growth, architect/educator William Morrish, and preservation author and thinker Howard Mansfield, among others. Each lecturer addressed topics of their specialty - all relevant to Annapolis' situation today. The purpose of these lectures was not to propose solutions, per se, but rather to instigate the local conversation on potential solutions from the ground up, supported by Annapolitans.

Charrette

A major component of EnVISIONing Annapolis was the charrette held in March 2008, during which four university teams - one each from the University of Maryland, Catholic University of America, Virginia Tech, and Morgan State University - converged on the city to study, brainstorm, and create. Directing and facilitating the charrette teams were Garth Rockcastle, Principal, and Troy Urman, Intern, of architectural firm Meyer, Scherer, and Rockcastle, Ltd. The firm is noted for its work on the Washburn "A" Mill or [http://www.millcitymuseum.org/ Mill City Museum] .

The products of this working session were re-presented at an open public session hosted by the Institute for the Future at Anne Arundel Community College on April 19th, 2008. The projects were illustrated with renderings, 3d models, diagrams, and policy or building proposals and feedback received by attendant surveys and discussion.

Denouement

A group of Loeb Fellows (alumni of Harvard University's one year Loeb program) came to Annapolis in June of 2008 to remark upon the work of the charrette and give suggestions as to the next steps Annapolitans might take in moving this effort forward. Some local groups are continuing in pursuing some of the concepts proposed during this design effort, via feasibility studies and community activism.

External links

* [http://www.envisioningannapolis.net www.envisioningannapolis.net] , the project's homepage
* [http://www.annapolis.gov/ www.annapolis.gov] , the city's website
* [http://www.charretteinstitute.org/charrette.html "What is a charrette?"] National Charrette Institute (NCI)
* [http://www.nea.gov/resources/Lessons/GROVE.HTML "Strategic Visioning Process"] National Endowment for the Arts (NEA)