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Baltimore Renaissance: An Outsider’s Point of View AIABaltimore Professional Affiliates Bring Mayor Joseph P. Riley, Jr., Hon. AIA, to Speak at the Maryland Institute College of Art Wednesday, November 9, 2005 “The more sensitive the mayor is to good urban design, to issues of livability, scale, diversity, etc., the more willing and able he or she will be to help develop higher quality.” --Mayor Joseph Riley, Jr., Hon. AIA

As the Mayor of Charleston, South Carolina, a city now considered one of the most forward-looking in the country, Joe Riley, Hon. AIA is happy to offer his personal and professional perspective on Baltimore.

After an unprecedented 30 years as Mayor of Charleston, Joe Riley knows a thing or two about urban design. The South Carolinian of the Year has initiated dozens of revitalization projects, ranging from the busy King Street in downtown Charleston to the Waterfront Park, which he calls the “birthright of the people of Charleston.” Believing strongly in the relationship between public and private development financing and taking full advantage of both, Riley has expanded the city from 16.7 miles in 1975 to almost 90 square miles to date, an increase of over 400%.

Through his Office of the Ombudsman and Citizen Participation, and the Office of Neighborhood Services, over 70 strong and active community associations have been established. By persuading neighborhoods to take more responsibility for their own improvement, Riley’s office continues to connect with each community, listening to and motivating the residents to best determine what needs to be accomplished to make their neighborhood a safe and beautiful place for people to live, work and visit. He also holds a monthly Mayor’s Night In, where citizens have the opportunity to meet with the Mayor in his office to discuss concerns.

Riley has taken his experience and expertise on the road, helping over 250 Mayors nationwide to achieve these same urban design goals in their own cities. He also founded the Mayors’ Institute for City Design (MICD), in which over 625 mayors participate. It now meets 6 times annually to discuss how best to improve the livability of American cities.

With credentials such as the Thomas Jefferson Award for Public Architecture from the American Institute of Architects, and the Outstanding Mayor’s Award from the National Association of Realtors, this South Carolinian of the Year has demonstrated thorough knowledge of and dedication to urban design, restoration and suitable development strategies. He now rests his eyes on Baltimore … what will he have to say?

Wednesday, November 9
5 p.m. Exhibition / Reception
6 p.m. lecture followed by Q/A

Maryland Institute College of Art
Falvey Hall in Brown Center
1300 West Mount Royal Avenue

Tickets may be purchased in advance and at the door: $10/person, $5/students, associates and seniors.

1 AIA/CES (HSW) credit.

Thanks to our event sponsors:

Sponsors: Burdette Kohler Murphy + Associates; Henry H. Lewis Contractors, LLC; Turner Construction Company

Donors: Betco Block & Products, Inc./Oldcastle; Century Engineering, Inc.; Cochran Stephenson & Donkervoet, Inc.; GWWO, Inc./Architects; Henry H. Lewis Contractors, LLC; Hope Furrer Associates, Inc.; Hord Coplan Macht, Inc.; J. Vinton Schafer & Sons, Inc.; James Posey Associates, Inc.; KCI Technologies, Inc.; Kinsley Construction; Marks, Thomas Architects; Masonry Institute of Maryland, Inc.; Merritt Properties, Inc.; Morabito Consultants, Inc.; Oak Contracting; Siegel Rutherford Bradstock & Ridgway, Inc; Struever Bros. Eccles & Rouse, Inc.; Swirnow Building Systems; Whiting-Turner Contracting Co., Inc.

*Annual Sponsors in italics.

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