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Talk

How to Design a City

Benji Wiedemann & Alex Lampe

Oct 21, 11:45 - 12:30 PM

St. Lawrence Centre — Jane Mallett Theatre

Schedule

It’s a rare brief to build a new city, but one that is becoming increasingly common.

By 2050, nearly 70% of the world’s population will live in cities, with most of that infrastructure yet to be built. The challenge isn’t just constructing places for people to live and work–it’s creating cities people believe in. Join Alex and Benji as they walk us through what it really takes to design a city from the ground up and why infrastructure alone is not enough. The world’s most iconic cities, such as Paris, New York, Rome, derive their identity from a distinct ‘DNA’: a blend of culture, heritage, design and narrative that makes them instantly recognizable. Alex and Benji will explore how this is interpreted through the architecture, typography, signage and more. 

From here, they look at how we can create that same clarity of identity in a city that doesn’t yet exist. Drawing on projects like Tottenham (London), Diriyah and Hudayriyat, Alex and Benji explore a new approach to city-making–one that begins with geography and purpose and is guided by narrative and brand at every stage. Their talk offers a rare look at how cities are being imagined today and what it takes to make them resonate for future generations. They explain how to contextualize all of a place’s elements into a modern brand, and create a framework for others to follow.


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