Christopher Mead, dean of the University of New Mexico College of Fine Arts and professor of architecture and art history, and Presidential Teaching Fellow, will present, “Albuquerque, City of Modernity,” on Friday, Sept. 23 at 4:30 p.m. in Northrop Hall 122 on the UNM campus.
“Albuquerque has a rich and complicated history. People describe it through its past – Old Town – or through its more modern areas like Uptown. When describing the city we tend to deal with two clichés, ‘Why aren't we more like Santa Fe?' or ‘Why aren't we more like Phoenix or Los Angeles?' Our city is like Albuquerque,” Mead said.
Growth defines Albuquerque. “People are afraid of growth. They fear the city will lose its identity, but outward growth is Albuquerque. It does not threaten the city's identity, it is part of it,” he said.
Mead claims that planned growth doesn't work. “The issues that were voiced in 1977 when discussing city planning still exist today – infill, public transportation, resistance to sprawl, consolidation, reinvigorating downtown. These ideas have been around for nearly 30 years, but they haven't changed the development patterns of the city,” he said.
Albuquerque needs to be viewed as more than just its city limits, Mead said. Rio Rancho, Bernalillo, Belen, Moriarty and Edgewood either exist or have grown because of Albuquerque.
“People first started spreading out along the river when the city was founded. Now they jump over the mountain in their search for cheaper land,” he said.
Mead has been on faculty at UNM since 1980. A historian in cities, he is currently working on a book on 19 th century Paris. He is the author of four books and numerous articles, has presented many public lectures and organized exhibitions. He has been an officer with the Society of Architectural Historians and in 2002 completed a term as its president. He has also completed a term on the state's Cultural Properties Review Commission.
Mead lives in a house designed by Bart Prince and has written extensively about Prince's work.
This free, public presentation culminates a day long, campus wide event during which UNM celebrates the City of Albuquerque's Tricentennial during architecture month.
Mead's lecture is an installment in the UNM School of Architecture and Planning's John Gaw Meem Lecture Series. For more information, call 277-5885.
Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920
Posted by scarr at September 19, 2005 04:56 PM