Thoughts

Gehry Partners' Dana McKinney on Designing Environments to Empower

Madame Architect

August 3, 2020

“My academics were critical in expanding my design vocabulary and skills, but it’s the social initiatives that fueled my soul and made my experience at the GSD human.”

Should Designers Try to Reform Immigrant Detention | Confront the Inhumane

Bloomberg City Lab

July 30, 2018

“Our country is in the midst of a human-rights crisis. The abhorrent conditions of immigrants in detention, pending decisions on their bids to enter the United States, are, to put it frankly, shameful...”

Societal Simulation | A Carceral Geography of Restoration

GSD M.Arch Thesis

December 30, 2016

“Upon re-entry, approximately three out of every four individuals reoffend, resulting in a relentless cycle of recidivism. This written component of compliments the design thesis visualizing American mass incarceration, providing examples of existing and alternative models, and illustrating techniques to alter this landscape of oppression.This thesis advocates for community supervision by inventing spaces of reconciliation and rehabilitation, exploring alternatives to lessen recidivism while reviving the broader community. Justice, equity, security, and imagination are deployed across an urban landscape to create a fully immersive environment for restorative programs. The village inoculates recidivism.”

Design Desperately Needs Social Justice

Aljazeera America

May 31, 2015

“For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to be an architect. I believe that design can create spaces of inspiration and beauty for all people, regardless of race or class. While I know that design alone cannot rectify inequities, I do believe it can ameliorate them…”