Remembering Richard Dagenhart

Georgia Tech Professor Richard Dagenhart was a key partner in the Georgia Conservancy’s Sustainable Growth initiatives

The Georgia Conservancy staff and Board of Trustees mourn the passing of Georgia Tech College of Design professor Richard Dagenhart. Through his longtime partnership in our Sustainable Growth programs, Richard became a trusted friend and colleague to countless Georgia Conservancy staff members. His dedication to building sustainable communities through thoughtful, environmentally-focused design will be incredibly missed, but his passion and knowledge will live on through the countless students, practitioners, and curious learners whom he reached. We are tremendously grateful for his years of friendship and support.

The Georgia Conservancy recognized Georgia Tech’s College of Design as our Conservationist of the Year in 2015 for the College’s contribution to envisioning and designing sustainable places, thanks in large part to the wisdom, guidance, and perseverance of Richard.  As a reflection of his leadership, Richard was also celebrated that year as one of three “legacy” professors who had worked alongside us for many years, educating hundreds of students and improving dozens of Georgia communities.

In 2008, Richard helped found the Georgia Conservancy’s community education program, Good Urbanism, which teaches planning and design professionals, government officials, and neighborhood residents about the importance of creating sustainable communities. Good Urbanism, along with Richard’s popular Ten Lessons in Designing Cities, reached more than 500 individuals across Georgia, including dedicated seminars in Macon, Columbus, Brunswick, Savannah, and Atlanta.

In addition to Good Urbanism, Richard was the lead instructor for ten of the Georgia Conservancy’s Blueprints for Successful Communities design studios at Georgia Tech. The students, who are from all over the nation and the world, are confronted with complicated projects, challenging them to think way beyond the safe world of academic education. In turn, Georgia communities are provided with high-level technical expertise and community engagement on sustainable planning and design that they could not otherwise afford. Under Richard’s guidance, hundreds of graduate-level students tackled real-life planning challenges faced by communities throughout Georgia, providing them with a “blueprint” for a sustainable future.  

Richard-led Blueprints studios focused on diverse communities and challenges: Small-town Moreland in Coweta County wishing to maintain rural character in the face of suburban sprawl; coastal communities grappling with sea level rise; a sustainable future for the Chattahoochee River corridor in metro Atlanta; or the Harrisburg neighborhood in Augusta looking to revitalize its community character. His brilliance in understanding the delicate connections between the urban form and our natural resources helped to provide these communities (and many more) with sustainable real-world solutions that aligned perfectly with our mission.

Not only was Richard a wonderful partner to the Georgia Conservancy and the communities that he supported, he was a mentor to many of our staff members, many of whom are his former students.

“Richard truly cared,” says Georgia Conservancy President Katherine Moore. “I am so grateful for his willingness to take on some of the challenges that we threw at him and his students. And am so appreciative of his enthusiasm to travel this state to provide support to our communities - people looking for help, looking for answers. And he was willing to help them. What a simple, beautiful thing Richard was able to provide and give of himself.”

Our thoughts go out to Richard’s family, friends and colleagues. His boisterous laugh, infectious smile, and collection of identical black shirts will be missed, but his legacy remains.