Certificate in Metropolitan Design Advisory Board Biographies
Eduardo Barrera, housing development specialist, Amherst H. Wilder Foundation
Jim Barton, independent community planning consultant
Jack Byers, city planner, City of Minneapolis
Bob Close, ASLA, founding principal, Close Landscape Architecture
The focus of Mr. Close's work is currently on urban design, town planning and master planning, including the planning and design of cities, towns and suburbs. He also has an interest in greyfield and brownfield redevelopment, as well as new town centers (greenfield) and the relationship between land-use planning and transit.
Caren Dewar, Executive Director, Urban Land Institute Minnesota
Ms. Dewar has provided leadership and planning direction, with a focus on project implementation, for a variety of complex, local and regional initiatives.
She serves on the University of Minnesota 's Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs Advisory Board.
Michael A. Fischer, AIA, vice president, LHB, Inc.
Mr. Fischer is the architecture and engineering firm's director for its community design group, which focuses on architecture, landscape architecture, planning and urban design. Having served with governmental organizations in Duluth/Superior, as well as Edina , his areas of expertise are tax-increment financing, urban design/healthy communities and community-based design.
Nick Koch, architect, HGA Architects
Phillip Koski, AIA, founder and principal, IOTA (Inland Office for Tomorrow's Architecture)
Mr. Koski is dedicated to improving the quality of life in the Twin Cities through urban-based projects, such as the Hennepin Theatre District, Pantages Theatre renovation and station design for the Hiawatha Light Rail Transit system. He has participated in the AIA Search for Shelter charrette, served as neighborhood representative for the reconstruction of Lake Street in south Minneapolis , and is current chair of the Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Commission. Mr. Koski advocates for livable communities and civic engagement through his column, "Citizen Architect," in Architecture Minnesota magazine.
Elizabeth Kautz, mayor, City of Burnsville
Michael Lamb, director of urban design, Cuningham Group Architecture PA
Michael Lander, president, Lander Group
David Levinson, associate professor of Civil Engineering, University of Minnesota
Mr. Levinson has worked as a transportation planner in Montgomery County , MD , addressing issues from growth management and community planning to network planning. His current research focuses on understanding the interactions of people, networks and urban systems, including the evolution of networks and travel behavior.
Weiming Lu, president, Lowertown Redevelopment Corporation
With an international background in city planning, Mr. Lu has served as the head of this non-profit corporation since 1981. He has also worked in several other American cities, including Minneapolis and Dallas , and has participated in a number of activities around the world, including the reconstruction of South Los Angeles , and as a jury member for the Beijing Olympic Park International Design Competition. His current interests are public/private partnerships, urban revitalization and urban planning in developing countries.
Peter MacDonagh, vice president, Kestrel Design Group, Inc.
Judith Martin, professor and director of Urban Studies, Department of Geography, University of Minnesota
Christine Podas-Larson, president, Public Art Saint Paul
For 30 years, Ms. Podas-Larson has worked in the public and private sectors to integrate art into everyday urban life. As an art consultant from 1974-1987, she established art collections for major corporations nationwide. In 1987, she led the establishment of Public Art Saint Paul and has been instrumental in forging its public private partnerships. Through the private Placemaking Collaborative, Ms. Podas-Larson works with cities nationwide to develop public art policies and plans. She serves on the Minnesota State Arts Board, as well as on the Minnesota Designer Selection Board for State building.
Ron Price, project manager, Project for Pride in Living
Dennis Welsch, community development director, City of Roseville
A community development director in Minnesota for the past 30 years, serving five communities within four distinct counties, Mr. Welsch's focus is on public value systems. He is interested in creating new ways to expose and imbed metropolitan design in the everyday workings, processes and values of communities.
