University of Illinois at Chicago Office of Public Affairs (MC 288)
601 S. Morgan St., Chicago, IL 60607-7113, (312) 996-3456, www.uic.edu/depts/paff

October 3, 2001

Contact: Amanda Mazur (312) 996-7681; amazur@uic.edu

AFFORDABLE HOUSING CONFERENCE AT UIC

In the midst of one of the largest public housing tear-downs in the United States, Chicago takes center stage as it hosts renowned architects, developers and representatives of government agencies at the University of Illinois at Chicago for a national symposium titled "Design Matters: Best Practices in Affordable Housing."

The symposium, open to the public and hosted by UIC's City Design Center, will be held Oct. 22-23 at the UIC Chicago Circle Center, 750 S. Halsted St.

"The design of affordable housing has always taken a backseat to other considerations," said Roberta Feldman, director of the City Design Center. "If housing units are poorly designed and do not meet the needs of the residents and the surrounding community, the project will inevitably fail."

In addition to panel discussions by UIC professors and visiting scholars and experts, the symposium will feature workshops and case study sessions on affordable housing design issues including housing cost containment, design regulations and review, and fair housing accessibility.

"Housing needs to be thought of in terms of not just what it will cost to build, but how much it will cost to maintain and operate," said Feldman."Housing design needs to be appropriate for its location - rural and suburban housing differs from urban dwellings."

Detailed information about the symposium, including speakers, discussion topics, a schedule of events and registration information is available online or by contacting the City Design Center at cdesignc@uic.edu

"Design Matters: Best Practices in Affordable Housing" is supported by the Fannie Mae Foundation, the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts, the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation and the Office of the Provost at UIC. It is co-sponsored by the American Institute of Architects (Chicago Chapter); the American Planning Association; the Architecture and Design Society; the Art Institute of Chicago; Architects, Designers, Planners for Social Responsibility; UIC Great Cities Institute; the Local Initiatives Support Corporation; and the School of Architecture at UIC.

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