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Architecture and Urban Planning Studio meets with Harvard Alumni in Quito, Ecuador

This semester, Felipe Correa (MAUD ’03), Assistant Professor of Urban Design and Director of the Master in Urban Design degree programs, is leading a studio course for Architecture and Urban Planning students on development possibilities around the new metro transit system in Quito, Ecuador. Students in the A Line in the Andes studio travelled to Ecuador in February to examine ways the city might employ its new metro stations as foci for further urban transformations, including cultural, educational, and recreational facilities. GSD student Billy Webster (MAUD ’13) describes the course: “The studio has been a fantastic opportunity for us [GSD] to actively participate amongst a host of local and international agencies. Metro de Quito has been our primary partner and facilitated arrangements/meetings/tours with many of Quito’s exciting new development projects. Our studio team is primarily concerned with the urban implications of the proposed metro system–what impacts do these 15 new stations have upon the city, and how can we, through design, improve Quito’s urban fabric for the 21st century?”
While in Ecuador, GSD students attended a reception with Harvard University alumni who live in the Quito area. Professor Correa said, “The GSD–Ecuador Harvard Alumni reception was a great opportunity for students and local alumni to informally exchange ideas about Quito and its future. The alumni were an incredible source of expanded local knowledge for our students, and the alumni had the chance to hear from students about their unique take on Quito and its potential for future urban transformations.”
 Mr. Webster further praised the reception with Harvard alumni, saying that it gave students a unique chance to glean insight on the city from its citizens: “In the process of meeting and conversing with local residents, a huge influx of support and instrumental knowledge came from Harvard alumni living and working in Quito. Representative of not only the GSD, I had insightful conversations with alumni and friends from the Harvard Business School, Kennedy School, and Law School. Each individual shared their own unique experience of the city and it became fascinating to stitch together myriad perspectives, concerns, and aspirations for this emerging city they call home. No matter how far you travel in the world, you can always count on the hospitality of Harvard alumni.”
If you would like to host a GSD event in your area, please contact Jennifer Halloran.