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Principal Ackerman Challenges Planning
Professionals and Public at State APA Conference, Yavapai College
 YUMA,
AZ- Catalyst Principal Matthew Ackerman, LEED-AP AIA has been
challenging both Planners and the general public to appraise whether or
not they are satisfied with what is actually being developed in our
built environment. Mr. Ackerman was a featured presenter at the APA (American Planning Association) State Conference held in Yuma this year, and again at the Living Green/Practical Solutions Seminar held at Yavapai College, and sponsored by Firesky Real Estate. The topics of Mr. Ackerman's presentations have been the blight of contemporary urban sprawl, as well as possible solutions to deal with it. Mr. Ackerman traced the beginnings of his own interest in planning issues from his early travels throughout Europe, where he witnessed first-hand how villages, towns, and cities could be laid out more efficiently, more pedestrian-oriented, and embody the type of character and sense-of-place that makes cities and towns of Europe such a desired destination. Upon his return to the US, Mr. Ackerman's own disillusionment with the type of urban planning that was yielding the typical post-war contemporary American city (such as Dallas, Los Angeles and Phoenix), led him back into academia for his graduate level studies, where he was exposed to the writings and teachings of such urban theorists as Jane Jacobs, and urban designers as Benjamin Thompson and New Urbanist Andres Duany. A Challenge For Change More recently, Mr. Ackerman's interest in sustainability has led him to connect the concepts of New Urbanism with the principles of Smart Growth and Sustainable Planning, all of which advocate compact development, a mix of uses, pedestrian-oriented design, and public transit opportunites. Mr. Ackerman's recent involvement with policy change, aimed at supporting more sustainable growth and development patterns, have led to his current chairmanship of the Yavapai County Sustainable Planning Committee, as well as the Mayor's 2050 Smart Growth Committee. During Mr. Ackerman's presentation to Planning professionals at the State APA Conference, he challenged those present to consider whether what was actually being 'built', matched the ideals that they had envisioned for our cities. Overwhelmingly, the response of those attending was that they were not satisfied with overall built environment. Mr. Ackerman then went on to ask conference participants to then contemplate what it would take for the architects, urban designers, and planning professionals within our society, to once again reclaim their roles as "designers of the built environment". Mr. Ackerman has appeared on PBS, and as well as locally on KAZ-TV on issues of sustainable plannning. Resources: Smart Growth SmartCode New Urbanism Yavapai County Sustainable Planning Committee  With
a background in Urban Design, Matthew
B. Ackerman, LEED AIA brings over 20 years of design experience in
mixed-use, masterplanning, commercial, and custom residential
work. He is the current chair of the Yavapai County Sustainable
Planning Committee, and the Grand Canyon AIA Chapter of COTE (Committee
On The Environment). Mr. Ackerman is an Advisory Board member of
CAZREN (Central Arizona Renewable Energy Network), as well as the
Yavapai College Construction Technology Committee. Matt was the
first U.S. Green Building Council LEED™ accredited architect in Yavapai
County. |
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