Cornell University's College of Architecture, Art and Planning is opening the fall 2026 semester with new faculty appointments, exhibitions, lectures and a conference marking 90 years of planning education.
The semester includes public events across the college's architecture, art and city and regional planning programs, along with a new interdisciplinary initiative focused on Collegetown.
Planning program marks 90 years
The Department of City and Regional Planning will host CRPConnect from Oct. 22-24. The gathering will bring alumni, students, faculty and practitioners together for workshops, field trips and discussions tied to the program's 90th anniversary.
Organizers said the event will examine the history of planning education at Cornell while looking ahead to changes in cities, regions and the profession. Activities are expected to connect classroom work with current planning challenges.
The college also plans three public lectures this fall. Katie Swenson is scheduled to speak Sept. 10, Donald Greenberg on Oct. 8 and Jeanne Gang on Oct. 14.
A new Collegetown initiative will bring students and faculty from several disciplines together to study the neighborhood beside Cornell's Ithaca campus. The effort is intended to link design, planning and community engagement.
Faculty, exhibitions expand fall lineup
Four tenure-track faculty members are joining the college: Manuel Bouzas Barcala, RocÃo Crosetto Brizzio, Emma Silverblatt and Zhicheng Xu. Brizzio also has been named the Judith Kinnard Fellow.
Cornell said the appointments add expertise across architecture, art and planning. Their teaching and research will support both undergraduate and graduate programs.
The Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art will host an exhibition of work by AAP faculty from Nov. 1 through March 7. The exhibition is designed to show the range of creative and scholarly work underway across the college.
Master of fine arts candidates are scheduled to give talks Sept. 8. Katherine Behar will serve as the Teiger Mentor in the Arts, while Mark Anthony Brown Jr.'s appointment has been extended.
The art program also will welcome visiting critics Matt Bollinger and Christine Elfman and instructor Pauline Shongov. Their work will add studio critiques, seminars and mentoring to the semester schedule.
College officials said the programs are meant to strengthen connections among students, faculty, alumni and communities. Event details and any registration requirements are available through Cornell AAP.
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