Ely Speakers Bureau
Welcome to the Lambda Alpha International Ely-Chicago Chapter Speakers Bureau. Our chapter members offer themselves as a resource for you across a wide variety of land economics industries. Members of LAI Ely-Chicago have a minimum of 10 years of professional experience in their land economics field. They have been selected by their peers as worthy of recognition for their commitment to excellence. Click on a category below to find your next speaker, panelist or moderator from our membership.
If you are an LAI Ely-Chicago Chapter Member, click here to apply for the Speakers Bureau.
Richard A. Wilson
City Design Director, Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill ArchitectureBiography
Richard Wilson is an architect and city planner who leads the City Design Practice of Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture in Chicago. Richard has 30 years of experience working with public and private sector clients to master plan, design, construct and operate large scale urban districts and neighborhood redevelopments in historic and emergent cities worldwide.
In Chicago, Richard served as the planning and urban design principal for the Chicago Central Area Action Plan, Chicago Riverwalk Main Branch Framework, Chicago Industrial Corridor Modernization North Branch Framework, and the design of Pullman National Monument. He has worked with Chicago residents and suburban communities to prepare more than a dozen transit-oriented development plans. Richard frequently marshals the Chicago design community to provide pro bono planning and urban design services for under-invested communities and neighborhoods throughout the Chicago region.
In the United States, Richard has led large scale city planning and urban design for major city comprehensive plans, waterfront and railway corridor redevelopment plans and infill development.
Internationally, Richard has led master planning and urban design for Expo 2020 Dubai, the establishment of new capital districts in Saudi Arabia and Jamaica, expansion of the Beijing Central Business District and redevelopment planning for Roman-era seaports in Istanbul.
Richard is the 2020-2022 President of the Ely Chapter of Lambda Alpha International. He also serves on the Board of Directors of Friends of the Chicago River, the Regional Advisory Council of the National Parks Conservation Association, and the Regional and Urban Design Knowledge Community of AIA Chicago.
Notes
Lectures and Presentations
2019 Walter Netsch Lecture, Parks in Chicago’s New Neighborhoods
2019 National Parks Conservation Association, Positioning Pullman 2.0
2019 Friends of the Parks Symposium, Public Parks and Mega Developments
2019 Chicago Central Area Committee, Expo 2020 Dubai
2019 The Fortnightly of Chicago, Chicago River
2019 Chicago Committee on High Rise Buildings Symposium, Keynote Address
2018 Apple Sketch Walk, Chicago River
2018 Chicago Central Area Committee Sprint, South Branch Chicago River
2018 Korea Real Estate Research Institute, City Design
2018 Mayor’s Institute on City Design Anchorage
2018 BuiltWorlds, Urban Tech and Planning
2018 Friends of the Parks Symposium, North Branch Park Preserve
2017 Harvard university, Planning Downtown Chicago
2017 Cityscape Dubai, District 2020
2015 City Managers Design Academy Dallas
2014 Mayor’s Institute on City Design Charleston
2011 Harvard University, Planning Downtown Chicago
2011 Virginia Tech, SOM City Design Practice
2010 Chicago Architecture Foundation, Chicago Riverwalk
2010 Great Lakes Days, Washington, D.C., Great Lakes Vision
2010 Design Futures Council, Great Lakes Vision
2009 Friends of the Parks, Chicago Lakeside Development
2009 US/Canadian International Joint Commission, Great Lakes Vision
2009 Upper Midwest Planning Conference, Burnham Memorial Competition
2008 World Congress of Architecture, Turin, Italy, Design of Cities
2008 American Planning Association, Metro Division, Chicago Central Area Action Plan
2008 Friends of Downtown, Chicago Central Area Action Plan
2007 University of Illinois, Chicago, Principles of City Planning
2006 American Planning Association National Conference, Redeveloping Buffalo’s Waterfront
2006 Rail~Volution, Transit-Oriented Communities
Awards and Citations
2019 AIA Chicago Urban Design Honor Award, Expo 2020 Dubai
2018 Athenaeum Award, Wuhan Bridgehead District
2017 Good Green Award, Golden Horn Shipyard
2017 ASLA National Honor Award in Analysis and Planning, Positioning Pullman
2016 MPC Burnham Award for Master Planning, Positioning Pullman
2016 AIA Illinois Daniel Burnham Award for Master Planning, Positioning Pullman
2016 AIA Chicago Regional and Urban Design Award, Positioning Pullman
2016 ASLA Illinois Honor Award Analysis and Planning, Positioning Pullman
2016 APA Illinois Strategic Planning Award, Positioning Pullman
2016 John Baird Award for Stewardship in Historic Preservation, Positioning Pullman
2015 Solon S. Beman Award, Historic Pullman Foundation, Positioning Pullman
2014 Design Excellence Awards, Skies of Ejabah
2011 AIA National Regional and Urban Design Award, Beijing CBD
2011 Chicago Athenaeum Green Good Design Award, Beijing CBD
2011 AIA Chicago Regional and Urban Design Honor Award, Great Lakes Vision
2010 AIA Illinois Daniel Burnham Merit Award, Beijing CBD
2010 LEAF Awards, Master Planning & Landscape Finalist, Beijing CBD
2010 Friends of the Chicago River Green Ribbon Award, Chicago Riverwalk
2009 AIA National Regional and Urban Design Award, Chicago Lakeside
2009 AIA Chicago Regional and Urban Design Honor Award, Chicago Riverwalk
2009 AIA Chicago President’s Citation, Burnham Memorial Competition
2009 AIA Boston Citation for Excellence in Urban Design, Chicago Lakeside
2009 Chicago Athenaeum International Architecture Award, Chicago Lakeside
2004 Illinois Institute of Technology, City Planning
Select Projects
2020
Capital City Master Plan, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Holy City Master Plan, Makkah, Saudi Arabia
Jamaica National Parliament District, Kingston, Jamaica
2019
Positioning Pullman 2.0, Chicago, Illinois
Convention & Sports City, Xiamen, China
University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
Redondo Beach Oceanfront Redevelopment, Redondo Beach, California
2018
Pullman National Monument Visitor Center, Chicago, Illinois
Beaubien Woods & Little Calumet River Strategic Plan, Chicago, Illinois
North Branch Park & Nature Preserve, Chicago, Illinois
2017
Expo 2020 Dubai, Dubai UAE
North Branch Industrial Corridor Framework, Chicago, Illinois
Seun District Master Plan, Seoul, Korea
Shougang District, Beijing, China
400 North Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, Illinois
2016
Bridgehead District, Wuhan China
Baishizhou LVGEM, Shenzhen, China
Pacific Park, Brooklyn, New York
2015
Positioning Pullman, Chicago, Illinois
Golden Horn Shipyard, Istanbul, Turkey
Expo 2017 Astana, Astana, Kazakhstan
2014
Transit-Oriented Development Plan, New Carrolton, Maryland
Gallaudet University, Washington, DC
Washington 2024 US Olympic Bid, Washington DC
Skies of Ejabah, Makkah, Saudi Arabia
2013
United Nations Master Plan, New York, New York
KA-CARE Stage Three, Saudi Arabia
2012
Downtown Dubai/Business Bay Vision, Dubai, UAE
Chicago Expressrail, Chicago, Illinois
2011
KA-CARE Stage Two, Saudi Arabia
Wave Master Plan, Noida, India
2010
KA-CARE Stage One, Saudi Arabia
Mataf Capacity of the Holy Mosque, Makkah, Saudi Arabia
Jaypee City, National Capital Region, India
Government Colony, Mumbai, India
ADNEC Arena, Abu Dhabi
2009
Beijing CBD East Expansion, Beijing, China
Kingdom Tower, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Chicago Riverwalk Plan, Chicago, Illinois
Chicago Lakeside Development, Chicago, Illinois
Chicago 2016 Olympic Bid, Chicago, Illinois
Great Lakes Vision, North America
2008
Tianjin Binhai New Area CBD, Tanggu, China
Downtown Capital District Plan, Trenton, New Jersey
Northeast Smart Growth Plan, El Paso, Texas
North Milwaukee Avenue Corridor Plan, Chicago, Illinois
Bridge Design Guidelines, Kane County, Illinois
2007
Chicago Central Area Action Plan, Chicago, Illinois
Winona Comprehensive Plan, Winona, Minnesota
Central Lake View Strategic Plan, Chicago, Illinois
Transit-Oriented Development Plan, Midlothian, Illinois
2006
Transit-Oriented Development Plan, Riverside, Illinois
Zoning Ordinance, Riverside, Illinois
Comprehensive Plan, Lake Barrington, Illinois
65th Street Corridor Plan, Bedford Park, Illinois
2005
Millennium Park Economic Analysis, Chicago, Illinois
Comprehensive Plan, Libertyville, Illinois
Zoning Ordinance, Homewood, Illinois
Metropolitan Square, Des Plaines, Illinois
2004
Woodfield Regional Center Architectural Guidelines, Schaumburg, Illinois
Blues District Plan and Development Guidelines, Chicago, Illinois
LISC New Communities Program, Chicago, Illinois
East Garfield Park Neighborhood Plan, Chicago, Illinois
Humboldt Park Neighborhood Plan, Chicago, Illinois
Little Village Neighborhood Plan, Chicago, Illinois
“Weed and Seed” Neighborhood Plan, South Bend, Indiana
Riverbend Vision and Guidelines, Beloit, Wisconsin
Disaster Recovery Planning, Jackson, Tennessee
2003
Washington Park Neighborhood Plan, Chicago, Illinois
Third Ward Redevelopment Plan, Chicago, Illinois
Transit-Oriented Development Plan, Tinley Park, Illinois
183rd Street Corridor Plan, Cook County, Illinois
Second Ward Restoration Plan, Clairton, Pennsylvania
Monticello Park, Chicago Park District, Chicago, Illinois
2002
Downtown Strategic Plan, Urbana, Illinois
Elston Avenue Corridor Plan, Chicago, Illinois
Maple Avenue Redevelopment Plan, Beloit, Wisconsin
HOPE VI Application, Hamtramck, Michigan
Zabrocki Plaza, Tinley Park, Illinois
2001
North End Strategic Plan, Michigan City, Indiana
Southside Commercial Corridor Plan, Mundelein, Illinois
Transit-Oriented Development Plan, Riverdale, Illinois
Grand Haven Restoration Plan, Hamtramck, Michigan
Heritage Overlay District and Guidelines, Wheaton, Illinois
Riverfront Planning, US Army Corp of Engineers, East St. Louis, Illinois
2000
Downtown Plan, Highland Park, Illinois
Retail Design Guidelines, Chicago, Illinois
Disaster Recovery Planning, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Disaster Recovery Planning, Midwest City, Oklahoma
Disaster Recovery Planning, Haysville, Kansas
Disaster Recovery Planning, Little Rock, Arkansas
1997-1999
Executive Director, Arkadelphia Disaster Recovery Commission, State of Arkansas
Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture 30 W Monroe St, 4th Floor Chicago IL 60603