Moshe Safdie is a leading architect, urban planner, educator, theorist, and author. Embracing a comprehensive and humane design philosophy, Safdie has been a visionary force in architecture, urban planning and design for over forty years. His work continues to evolve and grow, guided by a strong sense set of values and without succumbing to current trends. Safdie is committed to architecture that supports and enhances a project''s program; that is informed by the geographical, social and cultural elements that define a place; and that responds to human needs and aspirations. Completing a wide range of projects, such as cultural, educational, and civic institutions; neighborhoods and public parks; mixed-use urban centers and airports; and master plans for existing communities and entirely new cities, Safdie has made lasting contributions to the quality of life in cities and neighborhoods around the world.

Born in Haifa, Israel, in 1938, Safdie moved to Canada with his family in 1953. He graduated from McGill University in 1961 with a degree in architecture. After apprenticing with Louis I. Kahan in Philadelphia, Safdie returned to Montreal to oversee the master plan for the 1967 World Exhibition. In 1964 he established his own firm to realize Habitat ''67, an adaptation of his thesis at McGill, which was the central feature of the World''s Fair and a groundbreaking design in the history of architecture.

In 1970, Safdie established a Jerusalem branch office, commencing an intense involvement with the rebuilding of Jerusalem. He was responsible for major segments of the restoration of the Old City and the reconstruction of the new center, linking the Old and New Cities. Over the years, his involvement expanded and included the new city in Modi''in, the new Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum, and the Rabin Memorial Center. During this period, Safdie also became involved in the developing world, working in Senegal, Iran, Singapore, and in the northern Canadian artic.

In 1978, after teaching at Yale, McGill, and Ben Gurion Universities, Safdie relocated his residence and principal office to Boston. He served as Director of th Urban Design Program at Harvard University Graduate School of Design from 1978 to 1984, and Ian Woodner Professor of Architecture and Urban Design from 1984 to 1989. In the following decade, he was responsible for the design of six of Canada''s principal public institutions, including the Quebec Museum of Civilization, the National Gallery of Canada, and Vancouver Library Square.

Safdie has been the recipient of numerous awards, honorary degrees, and civil honors, including the Companion Order of Canada and the Gold Medal of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada.

Gary Hack:
B.Arch, University of Manitoba
M.Arch, University of Illinois
M.U.P., University of Illinois
Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology
L.L.D (honorus causa), Dalhousie University

Gary Hack teaches, practices, and studies large-scale physical planning and urban design. He is the former dean of the School of Design, stepping down in 2008 after 12 years. Prior to coming to Penn, he was a professor of urban design at MIT, and a partner in the professional firm of Carr Lynch Hack and Sandell in Cambridge.

Earlier in his career, Professor Hack was head of planning for Gruen Associates in New York and directed the Canadian government''s housing and urban development research and demonstration programs. He oversaw several large neighborhood demonstration projects and the redevelopment of urban waterfronts in a number of Canadian cities. He has also served as an urban design consultant for projects in Japan, Thailand, Taiwan, China and Saudi Arabia.

Professor Hack has served on the board of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning and the Planning Accreditation Board. He is a former chair of the Philadelphia City Planning Commission, is a member of the board of the William Penn Foundation, and is active in civic affairs in Philadelphia.