Equitable design focus of ’Size Up’ event

Equal parts scholarly gathering and participatory happening, " Size Up: Changing Paradigms in Social Impact Design ” aims to spark hybrid, flexible and engaging conversations through a series of workshops led by Detroit-based artists and activists. The event, 3-9 p.m. Thursday, March 31, at the Art & Architecture Building, features faculty from the University of Michigan Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning moderating panel discussions to invite reflection and input from design and public sector experts. The symposium stands as a prototype for what the blended future of academic happenings could look like, making it possible to engage locally while still tapping into global expertise, and creating multiple layers of equity and access by ensuring that scholarship is not siloed from the communities they seek to impact, organizers say. Accompanied by live music from My Detroit Players and DJ Los, the 2022 Wallenberg Symposium emphasizes diversity, equity and inclusion, allowing participants to experience the power of the arts while addressing and discussing cultural issues. "It's a way for us to first equalize the playing field between the international experts and our Detroit-based experts to make sense of what is considered in a scholarly manner and understand how it really impacts communities and how we work and live,” said Anya Sirota , associate dean for academic initiatives at Taubman. "We treat everyone equally in their expertise.