UNIONDALE, NY / ACCESSWIRE / December 13, 2024 / Marquis Who's Who honors David Dixon, FAIA, for his expertise in urban planning and design. Mr. Dixon has significantly contributed to the understanding of the current "immense urban opportunities" in this field and how to unlock those opportunities.
About Mr. Dixon
Mr. Dixon founded Stantec's Urban Places practice and is currently the firm's Urban Places Fellow, a position he has held since 2019. He has written and spoken widely on the new era of opportunity-and imperative-facing cities and suburbs alike during a period of rapidly evolving demographic, economic, technological and environmental forces that shape our communities.
Mr. Dixon graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in social studies, with honors, in 1969. He went on to complete a Master of Architecture at the University of Pennsylvania in 1972 and Master of Urban Design at Harvard University in 1974.
While attending Wesleyan, Mr. Dixon joined the College of Social Studies (CSS), a three-year program that was "highly interdisciplinary and focused on the interplay of history, government and economics." His time in the CSS had a formative influence. As he subsequently studied architecture and urban design at Penn and Harvard, he realized that a strong emphasis on design as a goal in its own right was not satisfying. He came to view architecture and urban design not as fine arts, but social arts that required an interdisciplinary approach. Planning and designing a new building-or a district-required drawing together colleagues whose focus was "equity, real estate markets, mobility, politics, community goals-and many other perspectives."
Mr. Dixon has urged others to embrace a more interdisciplinary approach. When he chaired the Boston Society of Architects Urban Design Committee he grew frustrated by the lack of a single forum for addressing the controversy that confronted virtually every development project in Boston. He worked with the city to create the Boston Civic Design Commission whose members included community activists, architects, labor leaders, and civic leaders representing a range of other perspectives who together to make decisions about the merits of new projects that would shape Boston's future.
An Advocate for Change
One aspect of urban planning that Mr. Dixon addresses in his work is the fear of change and how to manage change for the community and public benefit. While communities worry about significant alterations that affect both them and their families, he points out that change is a constant part of existence and that with the right planning this change can unlock significant social, economic, environmental and other benefits, at a personal and community scale.
"One thing that I like doing is being an advocate and an activist. I have long believed that architects and planners must be much more active in advocating for their values and politics and in other ways to shape how their communities plan and create policies that shape their futures," Mr. Dixon says.
The Future of Urban Planning
Mr. Dixon notes that future population demographics are already influencing urban design. One out of four households in the U.S. will not include children or have fewer children by 2040 due to the cost of living. Estimates say 80% of new households in the next 20 years will be child-free.
"This means that households without kids are directly affecting our real estate economy at this point. Where new buildings go and where investment goes is driven by the preferences of folks who prefer mixed, used, walkable, community-rich urban places," Mr. Dixon says.
Though some may fear this change, Mr. Dixon regards it as an opportunity to be unlocked.
About Marquis Who's Who®:
Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America®, Marquis Who's Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Who's Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms worldwide. The suite of Marquis® publications can be viewed at the official Marquis Who's Who® website, www.marquiswhoswho.com.
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SOURCE: Marquis Who's Who
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