Design as Protest During the Trump Era

While millions were participating in or watching the large-scale J20 and Women’s March demonstrations over inauguration weekend, a quieter riot was brewing among urban designers and planners. The Design As Protest nationwide day of action brought together architects, artists, community organizers and activists in nearly a dozen cities. Their mission, as stated on their website, is to “use design as a means to speak out in support of the disinherited and marginalized communities at risk during the next administration.”

Bryan Lee, a New Orleans-based, African-American architect, helped coordinate the national Design As Protest network, and presided over projects in his home city. Last November, Lee was behind a stand that black architects took against the American Institute of Architects’ CEO Robert Ivy, whose congratulatory letter to Trump after his election led to major controversy. He’s also been working to build a “design justice” movement that better infuses social justice into the work of urban architects and planners. That work began well before Trump was elected, but is now spreading to cities such as Seattle, Detroit, Oakland, and Cleveland—all of which participated in the Design As Protest activities last weekend. CityLab caught up with Lee this week to talk about a design response to the Donald Trump agenda.