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and by Colleagues | Department Chairs | Mentors and Others
Remembering Karl Linn
by Linda Maio, Berkeley City Council Member, 2oo5
Karl is an inspirational person who has significantly influenced many young artists, designers and scientists in the humanistic integration of their life and work. Many of his former students and colleagues are now in instrumental roles throughout the country. Karl has been an exemplary model on many professional contexts. Within these he has created spiritual and personalized communities for people to develop both their values and their competencies. He has a critical consciousness; he raises questions and searches for new solutions. He is not content with successful clichés, yet he respects and utilizes past learnings and meaningful rituals.
--Elaine Ostroff, Coordinator Arts and Human Services, Dept. of Mental Health, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, 1977
In these times of inflation and other economic woes, programs that stress recycling of materials, self-help and emergency employment are especially needed. I see the "Barnraising" concept as a practical guide to reversing a dehumanizing trend in modern life. As neighbors come together to recreate their surroundings, they also will be recreating themselves -- building a human as well as a physical community.
--Harvey Sloane, Mayor, Louisville, Kentucky, 1975
Linn is considered "Father of American Participatory Architecture" by many academic colleagues and architectural and environmental experts of the National Endowment for the Arts. Emphasizing Urban Barnraising approach, Linn applies expertise in environmental psychology and landscape architecture to participatory architecture. During the past fifteen years he has involved the public across the U.S. and students in staging a broad range of community-based projects designed to strengthen citizen's competence in molding their own habitat.
--United States Department of State exhibition on Participatory Architecture in Paris, France, 1975
I know Karl Linn very well and have followed his work for almost fifteen years. He has a rare ability to use both materials and unskilled people to change their communities by the creation of an improved environment. I first met him when he was working in Philadelphia. I saw his amazing re-use of historic building materials that were heretofore wasted, to create places in which neighborhood people could assemble. I also saw his work in Washington, D.C. in the sixties. There he used out-of-school, unemployed youth as the workers who recreated slum areas into recreational spaces of great beauty. He developed designs of such ingenuity that even recycled materials could turn into something that enhanced the neighborhood and converted these slum areas into places with a very special aesthetic quality. He understands people whether they be of great influence or residents of the worst slum. Further, he knows how to get them interested in working together to change the environment of their communities.
--former Judge Mary Conway Kohler, Director, National Commission on Resources for Youth, Inc., NYC, 1974
I want to tell you how much we in the city government appreciate the splendid leadership provided by you in the creation of the Melon Play Park. I was tremendously impressed with what I saw at the dedication ceremonies, and I know you will be interested to learn that, due to the success of the Melon Play Park project, I am recommending funds in next year's budget which will place the tax-property acquisition program on a permanent basis, and expand it to other neighborhoods.
--Richardson Dilworth, Mayor, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1961
Reflections by Colleagues | Department Chairs | Mentors and Others
