Architect-futurist: Think locally, act locally by Great Lakes Echo
Andrés Duany is an architect and community planner whose firm–Duany Plater-Zyberk, headquartered in Miami–has completed designs for almost 300 new towns, regional plans and community revitalization projects. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
For more than 30-years, Andrés Duany has sought to end suburban sprawl and urban disinvestment, both in American cities and around the world. Duany is credited with advancing the design aesthetic known as “New Urbanism.” The New Urbansim movement urges people to move beyond 20th century thinking, focusing on ideas that don’t cost money. Another important aspect of Duany’s aesthetic is climate change. He says that there is no evidence that the world will “beat” climate change and because of this western society will enter into a period of demoralization. Duany believes the way to avoid this depressing state is to act locally.