A collaborative effort between the SoA's Center for Urban and Community Design (CUCD) and the State University of New York (SUNY) was recently presented to Haitian President, Jovenel Moise in Arcahaie, Haiti. The plan for a 40 acre Sustainable Village and Learning Community (SVLC) has been spearheaded by the international development team at SUNY and follows the principles set forth by a 2014 CUCD research report highlighting opportunities for development in the region of Arcahaie. More recently, Steven Fett, assistant director of the CUCD, has led the design team, comprised of American and Haitian architects and engineers as well as faculty consultants from SUNY's College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse through various community engagement exercises and a design charrette, resulting in a master plan for the site. The project will focus on vocational training in a variety of trades including construction, nursing, hospitality, applied technology, agriculture, and the performing arts. President Moise offered his "unconditional endorsement" of the project and urged the team to pursue implementation as soon as possible. The project's primary funder is the W.K. Kellogg foundation.
