This is the fourth year the architecture school's Urban Research and Design Center has hosted the conference, which focuses on architecture, landscape architecture, historic preservation, growth planning and management, and urban design and development. Daniel Solomon, an architect with Solomon Inc. of San Francisco, will deliver the keynote address at 7 p.m. Jan. 23 in Steinberg Hall Auditorium. Solomon is known for his award-winning work with affordable housing projects. Each year, mayors of different cities are invited to attend the institute, which includes both presentations on general city design topics and discussions of specific design issues selected by the participating mayors.
Mayors have great influence on the physical environment of their cities.
The institute serves as a vehicle for providing support and resources for the increased involvement of mayors in city design, and its aim is to have a positive influence on the livability of American communities. Hoal also is director of urban design for the City of St. Louis. The National Mayors' Institute on City Design was established in 1986 by the NEA in partnership with the University of Virginia School of Architecture, the Jefferson Institute and the U.S. Conference of Mayors. In 1990, four regional institutes were established at universities nationwide.