‘Inside Out, Outside In’: What 2020 means for the future of public and private space

Three overlapping crises this year — climate change, a global pandemic and a racial-justice reckoning — have thoroughly transformed how we think about public and private space. In the decades to come, 2020 could be viewed as a major turning point in the design and use of urban public spaces, and how we arrange our domestic spaces as venues for work and schooling.

“After six months of lockdown and several weeks of wildfire smoke, I think nearly all of us are wondering what else 2020 might possibly throw at us — or simply desperate for it to end,” says Christopher Hawthorne, a professor of the practice of English at USC Dornsife and chief design officer of Los Angeles.

“At the same time, the pandemic has now lasted long enough — and the Black Lives Matter marches have brought such a crucial racial-justice reckoning to the fore — that some attempts to draw meaning or think about the long-term implications of our responses to this year seem needed,” Hawthorne explains.

On Oct. 16, USC Dornsife’s 3rd LA Project hosts “Inside Out, Outside In,” which brings together global mayors, interior design critics, architectural historians and an urban photographer to discuss the catalysts for these evolutions.

Founded by Hawthrone, 3rd LA is a laboratory for urban reinvention. Focusing on the city of L.A. as a leading model, the project looks at how cities around the world can become more sustainable, interconnected and equitable.

Following opening remarks from USC President Carol L. Folt and USC Dornsife Dean Amber D. Miller, panelists explore emerging changes to the public and domestic spaces inspired by current tumultuous events:

• Eric Garcetti, mayor of L.A., Nina Hachigan, deputy mayor for international affairs for the city of L.A., and Giuseppe Sala, mayor of Milan, Italy, discuss how the crises and calls to action of this year has led them to rethink the design of the public realm and the role of outdoor space.
• Leading architecture and interior design experts look at how have stay-at-home orders changed our relationship with domestic spaces, and how platforms like Zoom, which broadcast our residential lives to our workplace and schools, alter our home décor.
• Street photographer Kwasi Boyd-Bouldin presents photographs of L.A. during the pandemic to help attendees visualize the way a city adapts to crisis.

For more information and to register for this free event, visit the USC Dornsife event calendar >>