monthly design conversations

Tonight is the latest in an ongoing series of conversations about design in Baltimore. They're held the first Wednesday of the month at the excellent Wind Up Space (12 W. North Avenue).

The conversations are curated but open discussions that include presentations by architects, graphic designers, urban planners, and other Big Thinkers. And, each month the program is centered around a specific theme. The events are free and start around 6:30 p.m.

-Mike Evitts

a city to watch

photo by Mitro Hood

Baltimore is one of "America's Best Cities for Design."

Almost.

According to a Baltimore Sun report by architecture critic Ed Gunts, we just missed being a top ten city the likes of San Francisco, Portland, New York, Chicago, and Boston - which all made the list.

Gunts writes that, "The independent survey by RMJM Hillier, a large architectural firm based in New York, ranks cities in terms of how well they are designed for "architecture, sustainability and transit."

Not having a top notch transit system was one of our weak points and, apparently we're behind the curve when it comes to adopting sustainable building design.

But, in naming Baltimore as a "city to watch," the report said that we, "have demonstrated a strong sense of design intelligence and are well positioned to become [a] future force on the national scene."

-Mike Evitts