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August 28, 2014 President of the American Society of Landscape Architects Mark A. Focht to Lecture

Mark-Focht
Mark A. Focht, president of the American Society of Landscape Architects and first deputy commissioner of parks and facilities for the City of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, will lecture at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, on Wednesday, Sept. 3.

Focht will present “Green City, Clean Waters: The Philadelphia Story” at 5:30 p.m. in the McCarty Auditorium of the Art and Architecture Building, 1715 Volunteer Blvd. It is free and open to the public.

The lecture, hosted by the UT Landscape Architecture Program, will focus on how the City of Philadelphia is leading the nation in “green” stormwater infrastructure and restoration through its sustainability and city revitalization efforts. Focht will present an in-depth look at how the city accomplished its goals and how it effectively handled stormwater management. Much of the work is a result of partnerships, including one with the Philadelphia Water Department, that have led to public outreach and environmental education. A reception will follow the presentation.

“Students will learn first-hand from our profession’s leadership about efforts to change the way our cities are addressing sustainable design practices and how we are making our cities more resilient to climate change,” said Cameron Rodman, a graduate landscape architecture student who submitted a winning request to the American Society of Landscape Architects to have Focht visit.

“Our college is increasingly developing a collaborative environment,” he added. “This creates an overlap in what our professions are addressing as a whole. Other programs will benefit in the same way.”

Focht also will lead an extended two-hour lecture and workshop at 9 a.m., Thursday, Sept. 4, that will allow the community to discuss themes of Focht’s experience in more depth. It will be in the Ellington Plant Science Building, 2431 Joe Johnson Drive.

To register for either lecture, email Cameron Rodman at crodman@utk.edu.

For more information, visit https://tiny.utk.edu/focht-lecture.

The lecture will be webcast for live or later viewing at http://bit.ly/focht-lecture.

C O N T A C T :

Kiki Roeder (865-974-6713, kroeder@utk.edu)