Garvin drew heavily on his hometown New York and his experience as vice president for planning design and development of the Lower Manhattan Corporation, the agency charged with redesigning the World Trade Center. The granddaddy of urban planners, Daniel Burnham was frequently referred to throughout the evening as Burnham’s plan for the City of Chicago still stands as a reference today, not only for the City of Chicago, but for planners around the world as an example of remarkable urban design.

Questions from the audience following the lecture ranged from topics as vast as public transportation, to the need for parks and green space, to the significant role the arts play in creating energy and interest in core areas. Garvin enthusiastically answered dozen or so questions before leaving the stage only to be surrounded by people eager to continue the discussion as he signed his book, ‘The American City: What Works and What Doesn’t’ at the back of the room.

‘Alex saw great potential here and conveyed that to the audience. We’ve heard a lot of positive remarks,’ said Jeff Fluhr, Wichita Downtown Development Corporation President. ’People were excited and the evening was a true indication that the momentum is building and the community is ready to cast a grand vision for our downtown.’

The WDDC Inaugural Annual Lecture may be seen on channel seven.