Ten years after September 11, jersey barriers, bollards, planters, and other security features are still scattered throughout Washington’s important public spaces. Despite the investments directed towards security, we continue to grapple with the proper balance between securing our facilities and maintaining openness and access in our city. How can the federal government, tasked with protecting federal facilities, memorials and museums, thousands of employees, and millions of annual visitors, provide innovative and inviting urban design solutions that meet perimeter security requirements?

As the federal government’s planning agency for the National Capital Region, NCPC encourages designs that demonstrate how security and good urban design are compatible in ways that enhance the iconic setting of Washington, DC. A decade after 9/11 is a good time to assess the impacts of perimeter security policies and tools and how they’ve impacted their environments.

The National Capital Planning Commission will host a panel of experts to examine the current state of security and effective ways to balance security with good design. Representing the security, architecture, and landscape architecture professions, the panelists will discuss the evolution and state of the threat environment today; work underway to provide facilities and public spaces with the next generation of security; and discuss the trends for our security needs in the future.

Tell NCPC what you think works (or doesn't work) when it comes to security around buildings and public spaces. Send us your comments and photos at www.ncpc.gov/redefiningsecurity (and see what others have said).

Additional questions will include:

• On the 10th anniversary of September 11, what is the current state of the threat environment?
• What is the most effective way to balance physical security with good design, or can we have both?
• What are some successful examples of the balance between security and good design around the globe?
• How do other countries provide physical security in important public spaces?

Speakers:

Moderator:

Marcel Acosta Executive Director, National Capital Planning Commission View Bio Marcel C. Acosta has more than 25 years of experience in urban and transportation planning. As executive director of the federal government's central planning agency, he oversees a team of urban planners, architects, historic preservationists, and other professionals who are committed to preserving and enhancing the extraordinary qualities of the National Capital Region (NCR). Mr. Acosta is also a federal appointee to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority's Board of Directors, serving as a voting board member. The Metro Board of Directors determines agency policy and provides oversight for the funding, operation, and expansion of transit facilities in the NCR.

Panelists:

Brian Michael Jenkins Senior Advisor, RAND Corporation View Bio Brian Michael Jenkins, senior adviser to the president at the RAND Corporation, is the author of Will Terrorists Go Nuclear (2008, Prometheus Books) and of several RAND monographs on terrorism-related topics. He formerly served as chair of the Political Science Department at RAND. In anticipation of the 10-year anniversary of 9/11, Jenkins spearheaded the RAND effort to take stock of America's policy reactions and give thoughtful consideration to the future strategy. That effort is presented in The Long Shadow of 9/11: America's Response to Terrorism (Brian Michael Jenkins and John Paul Godges, eds., 2011). Thomas Vonier, FAIA, RIBA International Director, American Institute of Architects View Bio An architect in private practice, Mr. Vonier supports public and private clients with global industrial and business operations, focusing on design and security planning for facilities in high-threat locations. The National Academy of Sciences appointed him as an independent expert to lead groundbreaking research on security for U.S. foreign mission buildings, resulting in landmark design and planning recommendations to the U.S. Secretary of State and a new generation of design criteria for foreign mission buildings. Mr. Vonier is a member of the board of directors for the American Institute of Architects and a regional vice president for Europe in ASIS International, the global security organization, from which he holds CPP board certification. Alan Ward, FASLA Principal, Sasaki View Bio Mr. Ward is a landscape architect and urban designer with over 30 years experience at Sasaki, including landmark projects such as the Dallas Arts District, Reston Town Center, and Cleveland Gateway, which have received multiple national awards. His recent work, currently under construction, includes the design of new security elements integrated into the landscape of the Lincoln Memorial and Reflecting Pool in Washington, DC. His design leadership extends from the planning phase through project design and implementation. He was principal landscape architect for the first prize-winning 2008 Beijing Olympic Green.

Continuing education credit available for planning and design professionals.
AICP CM: 1.5