Terrace Town 2024

I had a great time participating in Terrace Town at Monona Terrace this month.

Terrace Town is a unique event where nearly 800 students design and build sustainable scale model cities using recycled materials. The event, which is always free and open to the public, brings architecture, design and city planning curriculum to Dane County elementary classrooms. Over several weeks, students learn how cities are planned, what makes a quality city, and how residents can participate in the improvement of their community.

The classrooms then design and construct a scale model city and install them in Monona Terrace’s Exhibition Hall for public viewing. Teachers work in partnership with volunteer “mentors”- architects, planners, and design professionals- to facilitate the students’ work.

The planning and pre-construction is done in classrooms. Terrace Town is constructed on Friday and Saturday the entire event will be complete. I love talking to the students about their work, learning from them and seeing their pride in their work. I particularly enjoy hearing and seeing what the next generation prioritizes in city design.

The project is supported by AIA Wisconsin, Wisconsin Architects Foundation, Wisconsin Chapter American Society of Landscape Architects, Society of Women Engineers UW Madison, and the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation and I am grateful for the time they invest in our future engineers, architects and builders.