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James Smither

James Smither

Instructor

Kearney House, Room 306 Phone: (202) 701-8745 Email: jcsmither@vcu.edu

Expertise

  • Urban design theory
  • Urban design practice
  • Urban design skills

Education

B.A., Urban Studies, Roanoke College
Master of Urban and Regional Planning, George Washington University
Master of Landscape Architecture, University of Virginia
Master of Urban Design, University of Melbourne (Australia)

Teaching

Urban planning theory, design, visualization, graphics, history, freehand and mechanical drawing, watercolor painting, AutoCAD, InDesign, PhotoShop and SketchUp

Research interests

Investigating, testing and creating innovative sustainable urban forms that meet the opportunities and challenges facing neighborhoods, cities and regions in the 21st century

Accomplishments

Among Smither's career highlights, he pioneered urban sustainability principles and design guidelines at William McDonough’s office, and provided a leadership role in design and project management at Ehrenkrantz Eckstut & Kuhn Architects, where he was involved in numerous large scale projects including the George Mason University’s Southwest Sector Master Plan and the George Washington University’s Campus Streetscape Plan. He is licensed to practice landscape architecture in the commonwealth of Virginia, and is a member of the American Planning Association, American Society of Landscape Architects and Congress for the New Urbanism.