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Abstract

JA: In February 2003 we held a roundtable discussion about the Allegheny Riverfront Park. The design team, including Michael Van Valkenburgh, Laura Solano, and Matthew Urbanski of MVVA, and artists Ann Hamilton and Michael Mercil, were present, as were three invited critics—Ethan Carr, Erik de Jong, and Gary Hilderbrand—with myself as moderator. In retrospect, two stunningly simplistic conclusions were reached regarding two critical aspects of the project. First, on the potential success of the design scheme: “There is something about the park that makes it more than it is”; and second, on collaboration: allowance for “not knowing” made all the difference. Please explain how these assessments are unexpectedly useful descriptors of the project’s design process and the final product, the park itself.