Join us at Van Alen Institute for a night of insights and creativity as we launch the Design: Creating Agency Through Data-Driven book!

Value of Design: Creating Agency Through Data-Driven Insights is a public book launch and conversation exploring how design — when paired with data, analytics, and evidence — can create agency for communities, institutions, and cities. The event celebrates the publication of Value of Design, a collaborative research project by Andrea Chegut, Minkoo Kang, Helena Rong, and Juncheng Yang from MIT Real Estate Innovation Lab examining how design quality shapes economic, social, and urban outcomes.

The evening will begin with a short author presentation introducing the core ideas of the book, including how data-driven design methods can move beyond aesthetics to inform decision-making, governance, and equity in the built environment. This will be followed by a moderated conversation between the authors and invited panelists from architecture, real estate, and urban research, reflecting on the implications of the book for practice, policy, and future cities.

The event is intended for an interdisciplinary audience of designers, architects, planners, real estate professionals, researchers, students, and members of the public interested in the intersection of design, data, and urban agency. The format combines an authors’ talk, a panel discussion, and informal networking to encourage dialogue across disciplines. The event will be free and open to the public, with light mingling and conversation following the formal program.

Event agenda:

• 18:30 — 19:00: sign-in
• 19:00 — 19:30: author presentation
• 19:30 — 20:30: moderated conversation
• 20:30 — 21:00: mingling and networking

Free!

Registration