Author and U-M Planning Expert Fred Mayer Discusses His New Book “A Setting For Excellence: The Story of the Planning and Development of the Ann Arbor Campus of the University of Michigan”
When
Monday November 23, 2015: 7:00pm to 8:30pm Add to Calendar / Add to Google Calendar
Where
Downtown Library: Multi-Purpose Room
Description
Find out more about U-M architectural history and how the Michigan campus evolved when former U-M University Planner Fred Mayer visits AADL to discuss his book, recently published by University of Michigan Press: Setting For Excellence. This event includes a book signing and books will be for sale.
While there are times when the mix of old and new buildings and the chaotic activities of thousands of students can give a haphazard appearance to the university, campus planning has in fact become a highly refined form of architecture. This is demonstrated in a convincing fashion by this immensely informative and entertaining history of the evolution of the campuses of the University of Michigan.
By tracing the development of the Michigan campus from its early days to the present, within the context of the evolution of higher education in America, Mayer provides a strong argument for the importance of rigorous and enlightened campus planning as a critical element of the learning environment of the university. His comprehensive history of campus planning, illustrated with photos, maps, and diagrams from Michigan’s history, is an outstanding contribution to the university’s history as it approaches its bicentennial in 2017. Perhaps more important, Mayer’s book provides a valuable treatise on the evolution of campus planning as an architectural discipline.
Frederick W. Mayer was the University Planner for the University of Michigan from 1968 to 2003 and served as the campus planner for the university during an important period of its growth during the late twentieth century. A Henry Rutgers scholar at Rutgers and a Sears Fellow in City Planning at Cornell, Fred was a founding member of the Society for College and University Planning, and editor of Planning for Higher Education. He has written numerous articles and lectured extensively on the subject of college and university planning.
