THE ROLE OF THE ARCHITECT IN THE PROCESS OF DEVELOPMENT

Population growth and cars have caused cities to sprawl from their downtown cores, resulting in a landscape of low density building. Far too often the empty lot at the edge of the city or along a highway attracts the next opportunity for development, furthering the gap between residential and commercial zones. The profession of architecture recognizes that urban site selection and mixed-use programming is vital to the social and financial health of a city, though it typically only participates in the design of the building. However, the visionary training and practice of architecture places the architect in a unique position to initiate successful projects on sites that are undervalued. That reality suggests that the architect’s role in the process of development should be expanded in order to participate in programming and site selection. This expanded role will lead to more frequent and better quality urban development which is supported by financial incentives for cities, developers, and architects.