Walter Hood
Urban Designer | Reimagining Public Spaces for the Future
About
Walter Hood is a landscape architect and urban designer whose transformative projects have revitalized communities across the United States. As founder of Hood Design Studio, he has received the prestigious MacArthur Fellowship for his pioneering approach to public space.
Hood's TED talks have inspired millions to see cities as living, breathing canvases for creativity and social impact. His keynotes challenge audiences to imagine urban landscapes as a new kind of public sculpture - full of beauty, strangeness and idiosyncrasy that brings people together.
Talks2
How urban spaces can preserve history and build community
Can public spaces both reclaim the past and embrace the future? Landscape architect Walter Hood has explored this question over the course of an iconic career, with projects ranging from Lafayette Square Park in Oakland to the upcoming International African American Museum in Charleston, South Carolina. In this inspiring talk packed with images of his work, Hood shares the five simple concepts that guide his approach to creating spaces that illuminate shared memories and force us to look at one another in a different way.
More Talks
Walter Hood at Aspen Ideas Festival 2025
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