Daniels Lecture - The Buried River: Restoring Nature, Rebuilding Community

This lecture features Anne Whiston Spirn’s remarkable work at the intersection of urban design, ecology, and social justice. She shares her insights on what it means for a city to be both ecologically robust and socially equitable, and how these principles can be put into practice. Drawing on four decades of research and teaching, Spirn demonstrates how collaborative, action-based approaches—working with communities in real places—can generate meaningful change. Her initiatives, including Philadelphia’s groundbreaking “green” infrastructure project, showcase how urban design can address environmental challenges while promoting social equity and educational reform.