UDream Legacy
The UDream program is a zero-cost academic and workforce development program for promising graduates of architecture, urban design and urban planning programs.
The ongoing aim of the UDream program is to expand access to professional careers in the fields of architecture and urban design in Pittsburgh and across the nation.
Through the support of The Heinz Endowments, the original program, which was initiated in 2008 and ran from 2009 to 2018, provided additional academic training and professional internships to recent graduates to increase their marketability and connect them with employment opportunities. Now, thanks to renewed support from The Heinz Endowments, the CMU team resumed UDream as an annual program in the summer of 2023.
"UDream provides coursework and hands-on internship training for students who are interested in community development and planning," said Steve Lee, former head of Carnegie Mellon Architecture. "The program is designed to train the next generation of urban designers, planners, architects and landscape architects and help fill the gap of participation in these professions."
The original 18-week program was composed of three parts. For the first five weeks, participants studied at the Remaking Cities Institute (RCI), an urban design research center housed within Carnegie Mellon Architecture. Courses included studio, sustainable buildings and communities, professional development, real estate and development, history and theory, advanced digital media, and GIS. Next, participants spent one week mentoring local high school students in a community-based studio project. Finally, they completed 12-week paid internships at local firms and agencies.
The participants met with community members to develop place-based design strategies and concepts. The Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh (URA) consulted on the projects, and the students shared their ideas through presentation and critique. The four-week intensive covered topics including sustainable design, digital fabrication, development concepts, and geographical data tools.
UDream Team
With the support of Luis Rico-Gutierrez, former College of Fine Arts Diversity Advisory Administrator, and CMU President Jared Cohon (1997-2013), a passionate group of Carnegie Mellon Architecture faculty and staff formed the original UDream team.
Associate Professor, CBPD Co-Director, DDes Track Chair & Director for Student Relations
