DesignED EP. 158 – Arlene Ellwood and Todd Ferry

This podcast examines solutions to address the issue of homelessness in the urban environment. Todd Ferry, an architect and senior research associate at Portland State University’s Center for Public Interest Design, discusses building communities in Portland, Ore. Ferry was part of creating Dignity Village in 2004, a self-governed encampment, which has evolved over several years to a community of tiny homes built by residents and Americorps volunteers.

Arlene Ellwood is the Architectural Design Coordinator at Mobile Loaves & Fishes, which operates Community First! Village, a 51-acre permanent location. Community First is poised to grow to nearly 2,000 homes across three locations, which would make it by far the nation’s largest project of this kind, big enough to permanently house about half of Austin’s chronically homeless population.

Learning Objectives:

1. Describe the root causes of homelessness.
2. Explain the importance of architects physically visiting potential design sites.
3. Discuss the project goals and challenges associated with the Community First! Village.
4. Explain how community, autonomy, and security help create successful strategies for homeless encampments.

Credits: 0.5 AIA LU/HSW

Speaker: Aaron Prinz