The boundary between Boston’s public and private spaces is not a bright line but a negotiable realm of partnerships and special arrangements. Private and commercial interests are increasingly responsible for nominally “public” areas and benefits that may be unknown to the average citizen—especially along the waterfront. In association with the publication of "Public/Private," in the latest issue of [ArchitectureBoston](https://www.architects.org/architectureboston/publicprivate "") the BSA/AIA hosted this public forum to further discuss some of the issues raised in the magazine. (Photo: [Soe Lin/Flickr](https://www.flickr.com/photos/soelin/6347554553/ ""))
As the founding principal of The Cecil Group, Inc., Steve brings over twenty-five years of professional experience to the firm, including urban design, planning, landscape architecture, and architecture projects throughout the United States and abroad. His practice brings creative solutions to planning and design challenges that are attentive to their cultural, environmental and community context. Steve brings a commitment and special skills in community participation as a dimension of the firm’s successful planning and design projects. Prior to forming The Cecil Group, he was a founding principal of Cecil & Rizvi, Inc. and served as Director of Urban Design and Landscape Architecture at both CBT Architects and SOM/Boston. Mr. Cecil’s academic contributions include teaching assignments in both the urban design and urban planning programs at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design. Follow @thececilgroup on Twitter.
Jerold Kayden is the Frank Backus Williams Professor of Urban Planning and Design at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design. He previously served as Co-Chair of the Department of Urban Planning and Design and as Director of the Master in Urban Planning Degree Program. His research and teaching focus on the relationship between law and the built environment and public-private urban development.
Matthew, a Director, is the co-Chair of the Goulston & Storrs Medical, Educational and Cultural Institutions industry group and also coordinates the firm’s Green Business practice. Matthew has taught in the urban planning programs at the Harvard Graduate School of Design and at MIT, and has written and spoken extensively on real estate and land use law and policy. He is active in historic preservation, public open space and land use planning, design and policy. Additionally, Matthew writes book reviews on land use planning, design and development for ArchitectureBoston, Harvard Design Magazine, Urban Land and other publications.
Mr. Donald T. Briggs, also known as Don, has been Executive Vice President of Development at Federal Realty Investment Trust since February 2015 and serves as its President of Boston Operations. Mr. Briggs served as Senior Vice President of Development at Federal Realty Investment Trust until February 2015. He served as President of Federal Realty Boston and Senior Vice President of Development and Head of Boston Office Operations for Federal Realty Investment Trust since June 2006 and October 5, 2009 respectively. Mr. Briggs serves as a member of Federal Realty's development team since 2000. Mr. Briggs served as Vice President, Development of Federal Realty Investment Trust from February 2005 to June 2006. Mr. Briggs had eight years of development, zoning, and construction experience at Cousins Properties Incorporated where he served as Development Manager, he also served Senior Project Manager of The Whiting-Turner Contracting Co. He has been Director of Cambridge Trust Company and Cambridge Bancorp since February 25, 2013. Mr. Briggs completed Federal Realty's Leadership Education and Development Program (LEAD). He has a bachelor's degree in Architecture from University of Florida and is a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers and Urban Land Institute.
Vivien Li is president of The Boston Harbor Association, a nonprofit, public-interest organization that has been a key, successful advocate in making Boston Harbor and the waterfront clean, alive, and accessible. Boston Harbor is now swimmable more than 90% of the time at more than 90% of its beaches from Winthrop to Quincy; more than forty miles of a publicly accessible HarborWalk system has been completed through Boston’s six waterfront neighborhoods; and public awareness and public and private actions on climate change have significantly increased.