Meet the Dean: Sonia Hirt
This month, Dr. Sonia Hirt joins the University of Maryland as the new dean of the School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation. Sonia holds an architecture diploma from the University of Architecture and Civil Engineering in Sofia, Bulgaria, and master’s and doctoral degrees in urban planning from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. She touts an established career in academia, most recently serving as professor and associate dean for academic affairs in the College of Architecture and Urban Studies at Virginia Tech. Her 15-year teaching and research career also includes faculty positions at Harvard University, the University of Toledo and the University of Michigan. A co-editor of the Journal of Planning History, Sonia has written many articles on comparative urban form and governance, particularly how planning and land use regulation play out in the U.S. and Europe. She lectures widely on the topic including at the invitation of Harvard, Columbia, and the Yale Law School. Her book, Zoned in the USA: The Origins and Implications of American Land Use Regulation, made Planetizen’s Ten Best Books in Urban Planning, Design, and Development in 2016. It was also selected as an Outstanding Academic Title by Choice Magazine and received the Honorable Mention for the Best Book Award by the Urban Affairs Association. Another of her books, Iron Curtains: Gates, Suburbs and Privatization of Space in the Post-socialist City, received the 2013 Honorable Mention for the Best Book Prize in Political and Social Studies sponsored by the Davis Center of Harvard University. Her most recent article, which appears this month online at the Journal of the American Planning Association, discusses the merits of Scott Campbell’s now-classic article from 1996 “Green Cities, Growing Cities, Just Cities” in pushing planners towards sustainable development. Sonia also conducts work on the legacy of Jane Jacobs. Her latest lecture on the topic will be at the University of Virginia.
Sonia’s work reflects a keen interest and commitment to pursuing research that crosses interdisciplinary lines, specifically those of architecture, urban planning, urban design, the humanities and the social sciences. “I was really drawn to the fact that the school has four unique, yet connected programs. There are obvious currents that unite us, and I look forward to growing those connections.” Below, Sonia talks about a renewed definition of “research,” the power of long walks and creating a vision for the school’s future:
Her first 90 days: “The first few months will be a chance for me to get to know the school: the faculty, staff, students, our programs and coursework and some of the accomplished alumni we’ve graduated. From there, I hope put together a strategic vision focused on sustainability, and then modify and expand that vision as we move forward. In a university this large, there are many opportunities for collaboration, but some aren’t as obvious as others. I’d like to explore opportunities to pair design with disciplines we might not have considered before, such as public health, or education or public policy. This is a fantastic place that I’ve inherited and I have big shoes to fill left by (former dean) David Cronrath.”
On faculty enrichment: “One of my favorite things is faculty mentoring. I want to enhance those opportunities for mentoring and help our faculty become more engaged in research. I take the ideas of scholarship and research very loosely; there are so many venues for publishing our kind of work, and research takes many different forms—it’s just not normally perceived in that way. I’d like to expand what we traditionally consider research—studios are research in ‘creative practice’!”
Expanding beyond College Park: “As a school, we are lucky to have such close proximity to Baltimore, which holds a lot of opportunity for work and study. I’d like to build that relationship and see if we can strengthen those connections. I’m also excited to see what sort of international opportunities we can pursue, whether its bringing people here or embedding into international initiatives not necessarily linked to faculty. There are so many opportunities for our students to learn and practice on a global scale; that is an important goal for me as an educator in a very globalized society.”
Life outside of school: “I love long-distance walks. I guess you could call it my form of meditation. This summer I did a lot of reading and took some beach trips. My favorite authors are Leo Tolstoy and Anton Chekhov. Recently, I also discovered Meditations by Marcus Aurelius. Most of my "free" time" is otherwise occupied with family and perpetually saving some stray cat or dog or, occasionally, another mammal.”
On life as a newly-minted D.C.-area resident: “I am really looking forward to taking advantage of the city’s plays and museums. When I was 18, my dream was to be an art or theater critic. Still haven't given up.”
Her proudest achievement: “Having three accomplished and beautiful daughters. I have three daughters and one 6-month old granddaughter. And I have pets—too many!—two dogs (one good and one bad) and eight (not a typo!) cats. Moving that many from Virginia to Maryland was certainly a challenge.”