Welcome to Future Talks by RTF, where we engage in insightful conversations with pioneers who breathe life into design stories. In our upcoming session, we are thrilled to host Gordon Linden, a seasoned professional with over five decades of expertise in planning, design, and project implementation within the realms of urban and regional development.
Gordon’s academic journey, encompassing architecture, urban and regional planning, and business, has sculpted a unique lens through which he navigates the intricacies of project development. As a licensed architect, certified planner, and esteemed member of the American Institute of Architects and the American Planning Association, Gordon brings a wealth of knowledge to our conversation.
With a diverse portfolio spanning megaprojects, leisure facilities, residential communities, commercial buildings, and transportation facilities, Gordon’s impact resonates globally. From North America to Europe, Mexico to Asia, his experiences weave a rich tapestry of insights that promise to enlighten and inspire our exploration of the future in design. Join us as we delve into the dynamic world of project development with Gordon Linden, uncovering the stories that shape our surroundings.
RTF: Hi Gordon, We are glad to have you as a guest on Future Talks by RTF. Thanks for joining us. How did the idea of putting the essence of a long International Expo consultancy career into the book, ‘The Expo Book’ come?
Gordon:After several years of working with numerous cities and communities seeking to host an Expo, we realized that many of the same issues were raised time and again. Since the basic answers to the what, where, when, who, and why questions were mostly the same irrespective of country or city circumstances, we felt that providing a collection of basic information could be helpful in saving a lot of time – and money – and give those candidates who really wanted to move beyond the basic feasibility stage a way to advance their ambitions. Thus, the Expo Book was easily assembled from pieces we’d done over many years which were updated according to changes conditions, BIE rules, and prior Expos.
RTF: Tell us about your initial experiences with Expos and World’s Fairs.
Gordon: As a high school student, I attended the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair and a few years later, the New York World’s Fair of 1964-65. As my ambition was to study architecture after graduating High School, I was greatly impressed by what I saw and experienced – the Space Needle, the Monorail, the Disney exhibits, etc. It wasn’t until many years later as a Project Manager for the Bechtel organization, while working in Spain where plans to host the Seville Expo ‘92 were all over the news, that I seriously got into the Expo “business” having connected with organizers of the 1986 Vancouver Expo where I met Paul Creighton, assistant to the President of Expo 86 Jimmy Pattison, who became my collaborator for many years and co-author of the Expo Book. Seville was our first significant contract which required the preparation of a Security Plan for the event which had experienced a serious domestic security incident and required a plan to assure international participants that measures were in place to avert future security issues. From that experience, we continued to build a portfolio of experience through several Expos and bids by would-be Expo hosts.
RTF: How does The Expo Book benefit the designers, vendors and contractors?
Gordon: It’s been my experience that Expos have attracted a lot of interest from a variety of professional and technical individuals and teams. Since each Expo has a different host organizer, there isn’t in place a standard set of practices which interested parties can easily access to further their involvement. We have endeavored to describe the various physical and operational features of an Expo so that would-be providers can see how they might fit in the overall scheme. Once beyond the basics, we have worked with some providers to form teams or otherwise advise on engagement approaches. Given the fact that there is little repeat work from Expo to Expo, being events that are particular to their location, the “one time experience” of Expo involvement has its rewards and challenges.
RTF: Tell us about your experience as an Urban Planner. How do you see Urban Planning change and what are your expectations of it in the coming years?
Gordon: I have been involved in the field of urban planning long enough to have seen several approaches used mostly in the US but also in the Middle East, to master plan and manage large communities. The 1950’s brought us the General Plan & Zoning Map approach which is currently the subject of some deserved rethinking due to the questionable effects of separating residential and other uses as opposed to a more mixed use approach. We can also see the consequences of a highly auto-dependant transportation network which, overlaid on a low density community, has put pedestrians and bicyclists at odds with drivers. The sustainability and climate effects of these approaches notwithstanding, we also are increasingly aware of the cost and development implications of these urbanization approaches, leaving large numbers of people without affordable shelter and little hope of a meaningful solution in the offing. I should also not fail to mention the current state of major cities in the United States wherein a great number of high rise towers are standing empty as a result of the COVID pandemic and the resultant “discovery” that people could work from home and get things done without the long, expensive, daily trek to and from home to office. In summary, a lamentable landscape of good intentions challenged and the inflexibility of the built environment suggesting that it will be difficult to quickly adapt a lot of major investment-grade buildings to future needs. This will require vision and leadership. Hopefully, the urban planners of the future will rise to the challenge.
RTF: How challenging was the Olympic Games Planning and give us an idea about the project development?
Gordon:We were involved in several Olympic Games programs including Barcelona, Salt Lake, and Athens. The high-profile that the Games has internationally places the organizers in a very challenging place trying to respond to the many demands that each sport has and yet maintain a budget and a schedule. I think that the Bechtel teams brought a lot of megaproject experience from other projects such as airports, industrial facilities, etc. which then was applied to what is essentially a large number of individual projects such as food services, security, transportation, etc. which are then deployed to a large number of venues. This type of thinking – i.e. multiproject management, is something that is hard to learn as you are organizing a Games program, so it has to be embraced from the top down. My experience was that some Games programs were late to realize the problems they had and then scrambled to get on a corrective path. Given the prospect of large budget overruns, a future Games organization would be wise to study the experience of prior Games – both good and bad – to come up with a winning plan.
RTF: What approach should young planners and developers have to succeed in the industry?
Gordon:There’s really nothing like seeing an Expo in person in terms of a learning experience. There are a lot of resources that are available that weren’t there when I was starting out such as the videos available on You Tube or the many books that are in circulation. However, these media tend to devote themselves to the superficial aspects of the event and don’t usually “deep dive” to get into the why of certain things, such as an Expo Master Plan or the accommodation of developing countries in pavilion structures.
RTF: What professional milestones you have now set your eyes on? What’s the plan now?
Gordon:We’re continuing to learn from the Expo experience.We’ve just participated in an architectural competition for a major international pavilion and are now working on proposals to provide advisory services to operational aspects of that pavilion. By studying the past experience, we can point the way forward and help people avoid repeating mistakes. Realistically, change is inevitable and that applies to Expos as well as other facets of life. Thus, we look for opportunities to put forward new ideas and practices which better the outcomes. The future of Expos, for the time-being, appears secure in that there are several cities interested in hosting future events. However, there is room for innovation and experiment which could make an Expo more affordable and reach a broader audience that they do today. Those ideas should always be on the table.
RTF: What part of your job is the most dear to you?
Gordon:I have had a truly rewarding life of experiences which have been connected with Expos. A big part of that is the people that I’ve associated with as well as those I’ve casually met such as Pavilion Managers and people working on a bid or spectators. There’s a lot of heartfelt aspirations that go into doing an Expo and being part of those efforts never gets old.
Thank you so much for doing this interview with us. It has been a pleasure getting to know about you and your work. We’re sure that your insights will be highly valuable to our audience which includes architects and design students. We look forward to publishing this interview on our website soon.
