Welcome to EDRA40 Kansas City
EDRA last visited the Kansas City area in 1975 when the University of Kansas in Lawrence hosted EDRA 6. EDRA 6 focused on translating research findings into design recommendations. In returning to Kansas City, the conference will again focus on research-practice connections, but this time with a focus on the issue of ethics.This 40th meeting of EDRA is a time for reflection, congratulation and projection. Re is a prefix meaning “again” and/or “anew.” Re is also a short hand we use for “in the matter of,” or “concerning.” This is a useful shorthand for a conference theme as it reminds us of the renewal aspect we hope this conference will foster.
As we consider recent EDRA conference themes—Building Sustainable Communities, Beyond Conflict, Design for Diversity—it is abundantly clear that EDRA seeks to confront people and place issues from a clear ethical position. We value inclusivity, social justice and sustainability. This no doubt shapes how we perceive good design, both in terms of process as well as product. Ethics shape how we perceive we should act in relation to others and our planet. In proposing careful reflection on the path we have traveled, we propose there is no more useful dialogue in which to engage than a return to first principles asking the question “Toward what good ends should design commit itself?”