Radical I’On – The Public Realm Speaker Series

Twenty years ago, a radical new neighborhood was proposed for Mount Pleasant. Radical in the sense that I’On’s builders looked to root sources for design inspiration – those historic sections of Beaufort, Charleston, Mt. Pleasant, and other memorable places from around the world. I’On is also radical in the sense that its age-old neighborhood concept represented a departure from the conventional suburban development patterns that characterize post-World War II America.

First-time visitors to I’On are often struck by the beauty of the neighborhood’s traditional architecture. But beyond aesthetic superficiality is something more. It is the relationship of the buildings to the commons – the parks and squares, the paths and sidewalks, the intimate tree-lined streets...the public realm that Arendt and Jacobs wrote of so eloquently.

This series will explore design questions that impact the public realm. Is it possible to build in a manner that enables people to gather together without falling over each other? Was I’On’s radical approach to designing the public realm worth pursuing? Can it be made better? Should its development concept be encouraged in other places? Can an intricate ballet still occur on a modern street?

Come out to pursue these questions and more during the series Radical I’On: The Public Realm – a provocative 3-part series featuring maverick designers and engineers involved in shaping our world.