Jay Pitter is a Toronto-based author, placemaker and advocate for more inclusive, safe and vibrant cities. The co-editor (with John Lorinc) of the 2016 anthology Subdivided: City-Building in an Age of Hyper-Density, she is currently working on her second book, Where We Live.
CA: Our most urgent need right now in architecture and urban design"
Pitter: The need to collaborate with professionals outside of design fields. While designers often espouse the value of collaboration, ?design jargon and antiquated hierarchies across disciplines prevail. Although cities have historically been shaped by a small and vocal group of urban elites, urban dwellers are increasingly resisting having their lives shaped or ?problems? solved by designers. CA: What can architects learn from professionals in other fields"
Pitter: Experts from other professional fields, such as mental health and the violence-against-women sector, are often unrecognized within urbanism, but are at the forefront of some of our most urgent city-building issues. The once clearly defined boundaries of urbanism are becoming less revered, and I think that?s a good thing. Many of my colleagues?individuals with architectural, urban planning, public health, community arts, and environmental studies backgrounds?are more committed to articulating a bold and holistic form of urbanism. We see the possibilities of our cumulative expertise, and are more committed to urban equity, than any particular design discipline or...