Three Taubman College faculty were awarded a U-M Presidential Award for Understanding Democracy for their project examining how the design of public spaces encourages participation by citizens. The project, titled Democracy & Design, included Anya Sirota, associate professor of architecture, Sharon Haar, Emily Lorch Collegiate Professor of Architecture and Urban Planning, and Ishan Pal Singh, director of the Taubman Visualization Lab (TVLab). It was one of five faculty-led research projects to win an award.

Democracy & Design works to combine expertise in architecture and urban planning with the capabilities of the TVLab. It envisions an exhibition, catalogue, and public program that explores how a diverse range of public space, including public squares, hybrid forums, and experimental, digital platforms, can either invite participation or enforce exclusion.

Part of the campus-wide Year of Democracy, Civic Empowerment, and Global Engagement launched in 2024, over $525,000 has been awarded to research, events, and teaching opportunities across all three University of Michigan campuses. The university-run initiative is intended to create a culture of learning and curiosity as a foundation to supporting democracy. 

“These Presidential Award recipients highlight the richness of U-M’s expertise on democracy, drawing from a wide range of disciplines and uplifting transformative research,” said professor Jenna Bednar, co-chair of the Year of Democracy.