CRITICAL APPLICATIONS at HARVARD GRADUATE SCHOOL OF DESIGN

Economic Regeneration - Unlocking the Power of Philanthropy and Public Funding for Place Based Investment

Presented By: Cecilia Cuff

Loeb Fellow Class of 2026 | Principal, The Nascent Group

Visiting Guest Speaker : Chris Eagan

Steans Family Foundation

Panelist :Maurice Cox

Emma Bloomberg Professor in Residence of Urban Planning and Design, Co-Director of the Master of Landscape Architecture in Urban Design Degree Program, Co-Director of the Master of Architecture in Urban Design Program

Location: Piper Auditorium Gund Hall, Harvard Graduate School of Design & Virtual Livestream

On April 24, we will convene in conversation about this integrated approach, featuring leaders who have successfully bridged the gap between the drafting table and the delivery of justice.

In the contemporary landscape of the built environment, a singular drawing is no longer sufficient to catalyze change. For too long, the designer has been relegated to a technician of form: a reactive partner waiting for the "layers" of funding and policy to be provided by others, which removes agency of the designer and also of those who are being designed for.

Critical Applications is a conversation designed to provide insights on reclaiming collective agency through mastering the art of layering philanthropic giving with public sources.

Our aim is to establish a rigorous throughline between design practice and measurable community impact , one that positions the built environment as both a medium and a mechanism for advancing human well being.

A conversation, examples, and a deep Q&A on how to make impactful design projects come to life.

Visiting Speaker

Chris Eagan: Steans Family Foundation

An expert in the "Economic Layer," Chris manages investment activity aimed at fostering city level development through strategic corridor investment in Chicago. He brings the pragmatic reality of the "Capital Stack" grants, loans, and joint ventures to the design process.

In his current role as Program Manager of Economic Opportunity at the Steans Family Foundation, Chris supports strategy development and implementation of investment activity aimed at fostering community-level economic development in the North Lawndale community. This includes making grants and loans, engaging in joint ventures, and otherwise partnering to attract and/or support businesses and to increase wealth building opportunities for North Lawndale residents.

Panelist : Maurice Cox

Emma Bloomberg Professor in Residence of Urban Planning and Design, Co-Director of the Master of Landscape Architecture in Urban Design Degree Program, Co-Director of the Master of Architecture in Urban Design Program

Maurice D. Cox is Emma Bloomberg Professor in Residence of Urban Planning and Design at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. Prior to joining the GSD faculty, Cox was Director of Planning and Development for the City of Detroit between 2015-2019 and Commissioner of Planning and Development for the City of Chicago between 2019-2023, where he focused on the adaptive challenges facing contemporary urban revitalization.

Cox is an urban designer acclaimed for his ability to merge architecture, design, and politics in pursuit of design excellence and the equitable development of cities. His professional biography aspires to present a very different model for what a designer in society can be, demonstrating that planning, architecture, and design operate within a sociopolitical sphere.

Moderated by Cecilia Cuff: Loeb Fellow '26 & Principal, The Nascent Group

Specializing in the strategic alignment of economic development and the implementation of social equity through multidisciplinary design.

Cecilia Cuff is a regenerative urban design and community development strategist from Chicago whose work bridges luxury hospitality design and development with equitable community and real estate development. With a 20 year background in global resort and destination design, she applies the same intentionality used in shaping world class guest experiences to neighborhoods grounded in resident centered amenities, cultural identity, and environmental and economic sustainability.

As Founder of The Nascent Group, Cecilia leads interdisciplinary projects at the intersection of design, policy, real estate, and investment. Her work across urban and rural settings advances small business and housing ecosystems and anti displacement strategies that preserve heritage while building pathways to local ownership and long term economic resilience. She has contributed to over $4 billion in development initiatives and secured more than $39 million in public and philanthropic funding.

A Loeb Fellow at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, she is developing tools to help cities leverage vacant land through aligned capital and community ownership strategies.

Design Competition: The Critical Applications IMPACT Award Presented by The Nascent Group

Application Here :

To move from theory to praxis, we have established a competitive award that incentivizes "Shovel Readiness": the moral, technical, and financial preparation required to serve a community through grassroots design projects..

This award was established for designers who understand that the true measure of a great idea is its capacity to be realized. We are inviting students to extend their practice beyond the studio and into the public realm by submitting an original design concept that generates measurable, positive impact for a community.

One winning student will be selected by a Jury and announced by Cecilia Cuff at the conclusion of the April 24 convening.

Students must be present to offer a few words about their project.

The Award:

$1,500 Award

A $1,500 Seed Prize to support the development of your project, and a Fellowship with The Nascent Group (awarded in accordance with Harvard Graduate School of Design Guidelines), one on one work to build a funding and implementation roadmap for your concept. The goal of the Fellowship is to help you move your idea from the page toward reality.

The Fellowship is designed to bridge the distance between your design vision and its real world realization.

Apply here : TNGDESIGNCOMP

Submission Requirements:

1-The Render The visual North Star of your proposal. The image that arrests attention and makes the case for what you are building before a single word is read.

2-The Narrative (under 500 words) The theoretical and spatial logic animating your proposal. Why this design, why this place, and why this moment demands a response.

3-The Impact Statement (under 500 words) The ethical foundation of your intervention. Who stands to benefit, by what means, and what does a just outcome look like within the specific context of your project.

Submissions will be evaluated across four dimensions: the clarity and ambition of the design vision, the capacity of the framework to maintain resonance and relevance over time, the sincerity of the proposed community impact and the depth of engagement with existing lived conditions. No single dimension outweighs the others. We are looking for proposals that hold together as a complete and coherent argument for why this project must exist, why this community deserves to see it realized, and why you are the designer to make it happen.

A Note Before You Begin

This process is designed to be generative, not stressful. We want you to enjoy it. This competition is entirely free to enter.

You are not required to begin from scratch. We actively encourage you to revisit and expand upon work you have already begun.

If you have a design idea rooted in genuine care for a place and its people, you have everything required to compete. Bring what you already know.

Apply here: TNGDESIGNCOMP

CRITICAL APPLICATIONS

Our ambition is that this event serves as a pilot for a broader curricular evolution. We envision a future where the Harvard student, whether in the Design, Planning, or Business school, is an architect of interdisciplinary systems. This is the Architecture of hope, a belief that through disciplined layering, we can build a world that is as beautiful as it is just, and as sustainable as it is inspired.

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

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Host or Publisher The Nascent Group