Urban Studies Speaker Series
Hoyt Architects’ Urban Studies Speaker Series brings diverse voices and perspectives to the community, fostering thoughtful dialogue on timely and relevant topics. The series features engaging speakers from a wide range of disciplines, sparking conversation, education, and meaningful community connection through thought-provoking presentations and discussions.
Past Lectures
Bob Gibbs
Urban Retail Planner
Principles of Urban Retail Planning and Development
Robert Gibbs is considered one of the foremost urban retail planners in America. For more than two decades, his expertise has been sought by some of the most respected mayors, renowned architects, and successful real-estate developers in the country. Profiled in The New York Times and The Atlantic, Gibbs is said, “to have a sensibility unlike anything possessed by the urban planners who usually design downtown-renewal efforts.” He is also a founder and recognized leader in the Congress for the New Urbanism, having pioneered the implementation of its sustainable principles of Traditional Town Planning as an antidote to suburban sprawl.
David Nelson
Commercial Real Estate Developer
Preserving a Legacy:
The Summerhill Case Study
David Nelson’s presentation on Atlanta’s Summerhill neighborhood offered a compelling case study in how urban areas can be revitalized while preserving their cultural and historical identity. Summerhill reflects a bold yet thoughtful approach to redevelopment—one that honors the past while embracing innovation. Located on the former site of Atlanta’s Olympic Stadium, this 80-acre district sits within one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods, just minutes from downtown. Guided by a long-term, organic process rooted in preservation and rehabilitation, Summerhill is transforming into a walkable, dynamic community that seamlessly integrates culture, dining, entertainment, education, and housing.
Dr. Matthew Wielicki
Geochemist, Publisher
Measured vs. Modeled:
Climate Data and Design Decisions
Dr. Matthew Wielicki delivered a data-driven discussion on how climate information is applied—and often misapplied—in long-range planning, environmental policy, and design. A geochemist and former university faculty member, Dr. Wielicki studies Earth’s changing systems through the planet’s geologic record—often called Earth’s natural “hard drive.” With a PhD in geochemistry from UCLA, he is known for making complex climate and Earth science topics accessible, practical, and evidence-based. His work focuses on the intersection of climate data, uncertainty, and public policy, emphasizing accountability and real-world outcomes. Dr. Wielicki is also the publisher of the reader-supported Irrational Fear Substack, where he examines climate claims, extreme weather statistics, and energy tradeoffs, helping readers separate fact from speculation.
John Snow
Professional Arborist
The Urban Forest Lifecycle:
Designing Cities With Trees That Last 50 Years or More
Snow explored how cities can balance high-quality urban development with the long-term health of their natural resources. Attendees learned strategies for planning, planting, and maintaining urban trees so they thrive for decades, creating resilient urban forests that benefit both communities and the environment.
Drawing on decades of experience in arboriculture, Snow shared practical insights for homeowners, city planners, designers, and anyone interested in sustainable urban landscapes. His talk highlighted how thoughtful, long-term planning can transform urban trees into vital infrastructure that supports vibrant, healthy cities.
Jarrett Walker
President, Jarrett Walker + Associates
Human Transit: How Clearer Thinking about Public Transit
Can Enrich Our Communities and Our Lives
Jarrett Walker is president of Jarrett Walker + Associates, a consultancy that contracts with public transit agencies to help the evaluate and redesign their bus networks. He and his firm have completed transit redesign projects in dozens of cities throughout the world, including Houston, Moscow, Auckland, and Dublin.
Walker has often asserted that “frequency is freedom” – frequent transit service helps people better access their communities. He also argues that access is a measure of many other things that people value, including the economic viability of the city and the experience of personal freedom.
Wes Marshall
Professor of Civil Engineering, University of Colorado Denver
Killed By a Traffic Engineer: Shattering the Delusion that Science Underlies Our Transportation System
Wes Marshall is a professor of civil engineering at the University of Colorado Denver, transportation engineer, and author whose work focuses on creating safer, more people-oriented transportation systems. Through his teaching, research, and writing, Marshall examines how street design influences human behavior and public safety.
Marshall argues that many traffic safety problems stem from roadway design rather than simply human error. Instead of focusing primarily on enforcement and education, he advocates for designing streets that naturally encourage safer behavior. He believes cities should shift from designing streets “from the center line out” for cars to designing “from the outside in,” prioritizing pedestrians and bicyclists first in order to create safer, more livable communities.