Rob Brennan, President of AIA Baltimore on riots
June 2, 2015
Spiritual Renewal
A loss of spirit blankets the Baltimore region today in the wake of the disturbing events yesterday. Protest is a welcomed affirmation of process that our government requires to continue to serve its citizens. Violence and destruction in the close confines of our urban environment can only polarize opinion and escalate a heavy response to restore order.
What suffers is the spirit of thousands of dedicated city supporters who choose to love the urban environment and all it offers. What suffers are the hundreds of civic groups that form our neighborhoods and organize and fund our community events. What suffers is our sense of oneness in the cause to make Baltimore the best place to live.
The people of Baltimore City inhabit a complex structure of buildings and urban space created over the past 250 years. This embodied energy has created the physical city that we know today. We value this historic gift as we restore, renew and build new. This interconnected armature is what supports the civic functions of a civil society. This is our place and our home. Baltimore’s built environment has so much potential to offer all its citizens.
As Architects and Urbanists, we recognize that good design influences quality of life. We seek to understand and interpret this moment and rededicate our effort to build the framework that supports the spirit of Baltimore City and its people.
Rob
Rob Brennan, AIA
President, AIABaltimore
Meg
Meg Fairfax Fielding
President, Baltimore Architecture Foundation
Read full message here: http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=dd563f8c70061de1797896c0b&id=3a02f1038d