Professor Ettore Mazzola, of the Rome Studies Program, will receive the 2012 International Urban Design Award in May at the 49th International Making Cities Livable Conference in Portland, Oregon.
Mazzola was honored for “his consistent leadership in designing urban environments that celebrate community, and lift the spirit." His designs are described as hospitable for all, with special concern given to more vulnerable groups such as children, the elderly, and the poor.
Mazzola was also commended for a recent proposal to replace a monolithic, low-income housing block in Corviale, an area outside Rome, with a genuinely livable urban fabric, all done without disrupting the community. The project is highlighted as an “exemplary model for urban renewal throughout the world” that highlights his emphasis on "human criteria."
“[The proposal] shows how to improve life in the district, to re-launch local economy, to preserve and to improve both the landscape and the environment, and to create unexpected business for local administration,” says Mazzola. An expanded description of the project can be seen on the IMCL website.
The IMCL jurors noted that Mazzola’s work ties directly to the 2012 Conference theme of “Planning Healthy Communities for All.” More information on the conference is available on the IMCL website.