UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI SCHOOL OF ARCHITECURE'S LEADERSHIP IN HAITI CHARETTE
FOLLOWING DEVASTATING EARTHQUAKE STRENGTHENS TIES AND LONGTERM
COMMITTMENT TO HELP REBUILD NEIGHBORING NATION IN NEED
By Steve Wright
Hundreds of brilliant minds gathered for five consecutive days to focus on Haiti's history, post-quake condition and future. The charrette helped develop spatial concepts for the government’s vision and its Post-Disaster Needs Assessment, as well as sustainable development models for future prototypical communities.
"At the University of Miami, concern about Haiti is wide and deep, involving many of our schools and centers. With a large Haitian population in the greater Miami area and close proximity to Haiti itself, the University had long ago determined that it should build relationships with our close hemispheric neighbor," states a report on the charrette.
"In the aftermath of the quake, those bonds were strengthened as we established channels of communication with Haitian ministries, government leaders and, humanitarian NGO’s--all in an effort to learn how our School could assist in addressing pressing needs, in light of country’s chaotic present and contorted political history as well as our School’s established strengths."
Because of the University’s ongoing work in Haiti, the Medical School, led by Dr. Barth Green, became a life-saving first responder after the earthquake -- arriving the next day and setting up a temporary hospital there, the largest to date in Haiti. Green's Project Medishare has continued to deliver first rate care to Haitians in need, a full half year after the quake.
Wright has contributed thousands of stories about town planning, architecture, urban recovery and transportation. Contact the Miami-based writer-photographer at stevewright64@yahoo.com
TOMORROW: PART 4
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