David Green

David Green

David Green is an architect, an urban designer, a free spirit and a world traveler who lives by the motto “Absolutely!” “Whenever people ask me if we can do something, I always say, ‘absolutely’. We can do anything if we have the will.” This positive energy was on display when I contacted David. Having just arrived in Istanbul from Odessa, David seemed energized by his travels and excited about his upcoming presentation for TEDxPeachtree.

This is David’s first time presenting at a TEDx event and we are overjoyed he was able to fit us in to his hectic schedule. This year’s theme of ‘catalyze’ has an impactful meaning in David’s life and career. To him, to catalyze is to facilitate change, which he says usually happens through pushing people beyond their typical level of comfort. “Catalyzing always has some form of chemical (or alchemical) reaction, and it always releases latent energy. The catalyst in all of this was the realization that in great cities, the things that made them, streets, were conspicuously absent from new, suburban developments. It was a clear disconnect between what people were saying they wanted and the actions taken to make places. There was a disconnect between reality and perception, and pushing people to realize that their perceptions were not based in reality can catalyze a lot of discussion, and hopefully change.”

For David, a real “wow” moment and something that determined the direction of his life was a study abroad program in Paris when he was in college. He remembers being physically moved by the structure of the city. “I expected it to be interesting, but I could never have believed it would be the life-changing and life-defining event that it was. It changed the way I thought about everything.”

As Senior Urban Designer for international design firm Perkins+Will, David focuses on large-scale urban design and planning projects. He has been involved in the execution of hundreds of projects in the past 20 years ranging from the adaptive re-use of multiple historic structures to multi-thousand acre urban design and planning projects. His work and research focuses on issues of development, particularly within an urban framework and the creation of a strategy for sustainable cities. He credits where he is in his career today to that first trip to Paris as an undergrad.

The move from conventional architect to urban planner was a process that started with that study abroad experience in college. His practice as a more conventional architect brought him into contact with a lot of projects that had to go through bureaucracy like public review processes, zoning changes, etc. This made him realize that “there were some huge problems in the way we regulated, designed and developed cities, so I gradually transitioned from buildings to cities. I believe that cities are the core of our civilization, so the design of them means a great deal to me.” At the end of the day, that is what keeps him going. “I truly believe I am making better, healthier places for people to live. To me, the idea of perfect happiness is when people get excited about what their cities can be, and you feel the energy behind the movement to make positive change.”

David’s work takes him around the world. When I asked what he learned from all of his travels, he says “there are some very interesting consistencies everywhere. People all fundamentally understand space the same way, so much of what we do is transferable, but also there are differences that preclude universal answers. Working around the world has helped me understand with much more clarity the things that are fundamental for great cities. It has also taught me to be flexible in my expectations and actions. If you aren’t good with surprises, then this is definitely not the life for you.”

David is a recipient of the AIA Atlanta Silver Medal and AIA Georgia Bronze Medal. He was on the Georgia Tech faculty for more than 20 years but is now relocating to London to lead the firms planning work in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. We are looking forward to hearing him speak about urban design and how to make our cities more liveable, functionable, attractive and sustainable.

Lauren Lynn is a new arrival to Atlanta. She moved from Charleston, SC where she worked in arts management. Lauren lives in Lake Claire and enjoys exploring the neighborhood parks with her dog and children.

One response to “Speaker Spotlight: David Green”

  1. […] and urban designer David Green put forth the importance of street plans as the building blocks of a community. He reminded us we […]

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