People Who Built Columbia Honored Sept. 19

Former and current community members are invited to attend “Building a Better City: Columbia’s Legacy and Promise” on Tuesday, Sept. 19, from 5-8 p.m., at the Horowitz Visual and Performing Arts Center, Howard Community College (10901 Little Patuxent Parkway). The event is being presented by the Columbia 50th Birthday Celebration.

A “small plates” supper with local beers and wine will precede a special program featuring expert speakers

offering observations and predictions about Columbia. Admission is $50. Register at Columbia50reunion.Eventbrite.com.

“During Columbia’s 50th Birthday festivities it is fitting that we honor the developers, planners, designers, architects, engineers and others who created this beautiful city,” said Marlys East, Managing Director of the Columbia 50th Birthday Celebration.

“Building a Better City: Columbia’s Legacy and Promise” opens with a “reunion” in the lobby of the Horowitz Visual and Performing Arts Center, where those who formerly worked on the Columbia project can mingle with those currently doing business in Columbia, as well as residents of all backgrounds and tenure in the community.

The program will follow in the Smith Theatre, where featured speakers Roger K. Lewis and Chris Leinberger will discuss the impact of Columbia on developments both near and far in its first 50 years, as well as look forward to what the future may bring in the next 50 years for the city.

Both Lewis and Leinberger have been following Columbia’s development for decades and have made appearances here in the past. Lewis is an architect and urban planner and Professor Emeritus, University of Maryland School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation. He has a weekly column in the Washington Post, “Shaping the City.” Christopher B. Leinberger is a land use strategist, teacher, developer, researcher and author. He serves as the Charles Bendit Distinguished Scholar and Research Professor and Chair of the Center for Real Estate and Urban Analysis at the George Washington University School of Business.

At the program’s close, desserts will be served in the lobby, and the “reunion” will continue.

Sponsors of the “Building a Better City: Columbia’s Legacy and Promise” event include Columbia Builders, Costello Construction, Harkins Builders, The Howard Hughes Corporation and Williamsburg Builders.

Columbia's 50th Birthday Celebration began in March and is continuing through Saturday, October 7, featuring a variety of community organizations and institutions that will be showcasing exhibits, events and activities throughout the 29-week celebration. More information is available at ColumbiaMD50 on Facebook and Twitter, as well as at ColumbiaMD50.com.