DPZ CoDesign

DPZ CoDesign
Name	DPZ CoDesign
Industry	Urban design; architecture
Founded	1980s
Founder	Andrés Duany; Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk
Headquarters	Miami, Florida
Notable projects	Seaside, Kentlands, New Urbanism

DPZ CoDesign

DPZ CoDesign is an urban design and planning firm founded by Andrés Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk that played a central role in the development of New Urbanism. The firm is associated with influential projects and charrettes that intersect with movements led by figures and institutions such as Jane Jacobs, Christopher Alexander, Robert Venturi, and the Congress for the New Urbanism. Its work influenced municipal codes, development firms, academic programs, and civic organizations across the United States and internationally.

History

DPZ CoDesign emerged in the late 20th century amid debates involving Jane Jacobs, Kevin Lynch, Christopher Alexander, Lewis Mumford, and Ian McHarg. The founders, Andrés Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, had academic ties to Yale University School of Architecture, Harvard Graduate School of Design, and University of Miami programs, and collaborated with contemporaries including Peter Calthorpe, James Howard Kunstler, Leon Krier, and organizations such as the Congress for the New Urbanism and Department of Housing and Urban Development. Early work on projects like Seaside, Florida and partnerships with developers such as The Walt Disney Company and municipal entities including the City of Miami established the firm alongside planning debates involving zoning reform advocates and critics linked to suburbanization and postmodern architecture movements. The firm’s chronology intersects with policy shifts in the Interstate Highway System era, housing initiatives tied to HUD programs, and responses to disasters that invoked principles from FEMA rebuilding and National Endowment for the Arts design grants.

Philosophy and Principles

DPZ CoDesign’s philosophy draws on precedents from New Urbanism, Traditional Neighborhood Development, and the writings of Christopher Alexander and Kevin Lynch. Their principles emphasize walkability endorsed in dialogues with Jane Jacobs and William H. Whyte, mixed-use patterns similar to Haussmann-era urbanism, and human-scaled streetscapes echoed in works by Camillo Sitte and Leon Krier. The firm’s charter aligns with manifestos circulated at meetings of the Congress for the New Urbanism and policy briefs considered by legislative bodies like state zoning commissions and planning boards such as those in Montgomery County, Maryland and Prince George's County, Maryland. They advocate form-based codes inspired by initiatives in places like Miami 21, debates involving smart growth proponents and critics such as Robert Moses-era advocates, and collaborations with academic centers including University of Notre Dame School of Architecture and Duke University.

Design Process

DPZ CoDesign employs charrettes influenced by collaborative sessions used by Frank Lloyd Wright in the Taliesin fellowship and by participatory planning methods associated with Jane Jacobs and Ian McHarg. Their process integrates transect-based frameworks similar to those promoted by Stephen Marshall and Perry Kulper, and form-based coding techniques referenced in discussions at the Congress for the New Urbanism and municipal reform efforts like Miami 21. The workflow includes multi-disciplinary teams drawing expertise from professionals affiliated with American Institute of Architects, Royal Institute of British Architects, landscape designers influenced by Frederick Law Olmsted traditions, and transportation engineers conversant with standards from American Planning Association conferences. They often collaborate with developers linked to projects by firms such as Dolphin Partners and finance partners including community development entities discussed at Urban Land Institute symposia.

Notable Projects

DPZ CoDesign’s portfolio includes high-profile commissions and prototype neighborhoods that shaped debates in places like Seaside, Florida, Kentlands, Maryland, and experimental plans referenced in discussions about Poundbury and Reston, Virginia. Other projects connect to municipal revitalizations in cities including Savannah, Georgia, New Orleans, Charleston, South Carolina, Tallahassee, Florida, and international engagements in regions like Catalonia, Bahrain, and parts of North Africa. Their work influenced redevelopment efforts after events tied to Hurricane Katrina recovery initiatives and planning contests sponsored by organizations like The Getty Foundation and The Rockefeller Foundation.

Organizational Structure and Key Personnel

The firm is led by principals who maintain ties to academic institutions such as University of Miami, Princeton University, and Yale University. Key personnel historically include founders who taught and published alongside faculty from Harvard University, Columbia University, and University of Pennsylvania School of Design. The organizational model mirrors collaborations seen at firms like Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and HOK, with teams that integrate urban designers, architects, landscape architects, and policy strategists who participate in forums such as American Planning Association conferences and panels convened by the Congress for the New Urbanism.

Criticisms and Controversies

Critiques of DPZ CoDesign align with broader debates around New Urbanism voiced by commentators like James Howard Kunstler and scholars engaging with issues raised by Saskia Sassen and David Harvey. Critics argue that prototypes associated with the firm can lead to socio-economic exclusion discussed in literature on gentrification and urban redevelopment contested in municipal hearings in cities like Miami and New Orleans. Legal and regulatory controversies have arisen in contexts involving zoning reform and historic preservation boards such as those in Charleston, South Carolina and Savannah, Georgia, and debates continue with housing advocates linked to Urban Institute research and policy analysts from Brookings Institution and Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

Influence and Legacy

DPZ CoDesign’s influence extends through pedagogy, publications, and policy models cited by institutions like Congress for the New Urbanism, Urban Land Institute, American Planning Association, and university programs at Princeton University and University of Miami. Their work informed form-based code manuals used by municipalities from Portland, Oregon to Miami and inspired private developers and public agencies engaged in transit-oriented development initiatives linked with agencies such as Federal Transit Administration and research centers like Lincoln Institute of Land Policy. The firm’s legacy persists in debates over suburban retrofitting, compact city models discussed at UN-Habitat forums, and conservation strategies addressed by organizations like World Monuments Fund.

Category:Urban design firms