The urban evolution of a seaside town’s public space has earned a team of urban designers, including MAPP lecturer and alum Marques King (M.ARCH ‘14), a 2022 Charter Award from the Congress for the New Urbanism in the Neighborhood, District, and Corridor Category. The project, executed over the last decade by Thadani Architects + Urbanists, stitches together civic amenities and public movement to address contemporary needs and challenges of Seaside, Florida, an iconic coastal gem.
“As places age, new urbanist environments will mature and require refinements and improvements, just like any other urban place,” says Charter Awards jury chair Andrew von Maur. “Here’s a great example of that happening now in an older new urban community, and it is inspiring to the movement as a whole. New Urbanism shouldn’t be locked in like a time capsule. If we love communities, then we need to keep caring for them.”
The CNU Charter Awards are considered one of the most prestigious urban design awards in the country, recognizing achievements in architectural, landscape and urban design and planning worldwide. This year’s awards presentation—the first in-person ceremony in two years—was decidedly people-focused, emphasizing projects that promote togetherness and inclusion.
King, who was a Kea Distinguished Professor in 2020, currently teaches a special topics design studio at the University of Maryland that centers on the Black experience and the American built environment. He is the Principal Architect of Fabric[K] Design, a community-focused design shop in Detroit, Michigan, and worked for Thadani Architects + Urbanists from 2013-2015.
Read more about the Seaside Florida project.