Named by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people of 2019, Jeanne Gang delivered and inspired and compelling talk for Design Indaba’s 25 edition. Founder of the Studio Gang, Gang shared how architecture in is service to building better cities by strengthening relationships between people, communities, ecosystems and the built environment.
Gang highlighted Studio Gang’s research-driven and socially conscious approach to architecture, emphasising projects that prioritise public life, ecological restoration and collective wellbeing over spectacle and grandeur. Referencing developments such as the iconic Aqua Tower in Chicago and the studio’s environmentally focused river and urban planning initiatives, she demonstrated how architecture can actively respond to climate change, biodiversity loss and social fragmentation.
Gang shared her guiding belief “actionable idealism”, the belief that ambitious architectural thinking must also produce practical social and environmental impact. She discussed how Studio Gang integrates scientific research, material experimentation and community participation into its design process, often collaborating with ecologists, engineers and local stakeholders to rethink how cities function, reflecting on several of the studio’s landmark project as a testament to the process.
A central theme to the talk and her practice, Gang framed cities as living systems shaped by relationships and shared responsibility underscoring design as a critical force in building more resilient, equitable and ecologically sensitive futures.
Watch the full Design Indaba talk here.
