FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
5 September 2000
SECRETARIAT RESIGNS FROM INTERNATIONAL SPACE SYNTAX STEERING COMMITTEE
Mark David Major (Building and Urban Design Research Studio, USA)
today announced that his resignation as the secretariat and member of
the International Space Syntax Steering Committee has been accepted
by the chairman of that committee, Professor Bill Hillier of
University College London. Major outlined the reasons for tendering
his resignation in a 31 July in a letter addressed to all members of
the international committee (see below a revised version of this
letter). In his place, Major nominated Dr. Stephen Read to the
secretariat of the committee. This nomination was declined by Dr.
Read.
LETTER OF RESIGNATION
To: Space Syntax International Steering Committee Members
From: Mark David Major, Secretariat
31 July 2000
Dear Committee Members
When the international steering committee was first established in
April 1997 at the first symposium in London, it was principally
set-up to decide the hosting of subsequent space syntax symposia.
However, in light of the committee's composition of leading space
syntax researchers in the world, its members are already perceived -
rightly so, I think - as the 'leaders' of an international research
community. I believe that with the approach of some significant
changes in the space syntax community, including the continual
expansion of space syntax in academia world-wide and the subsequent
emergence of a new generation of researchers, that the role of the
international space syntax steering committee and the perception of
its members will continue to grow in the future.
We are now on the brink of the first significant event devoted to
space syntax in the United States and because of what, I suspect,
will be the broad appeal of the 'interface session' program developed
by John and Jean for the Atlanta symposium, we can reasonably expect
that the expansion of space syntax as a discipline of study will be
significantly progressed by this event. It is because of this that I
believe this committee should now adopt 'rules of conduct' for its
membership so as to ensure that the committee always operates and
decides future issues from a position of what is of benefit to the
larger international community.
I believe that one such 'rule of conduct' for this committee should
be that it is inappropriate for anyone who is principally engaged or
employed in commercial activities to be a member of the committee.
The potential danger for a 'conflict of interest', in confusing the
private commercial interests of a few for best interests of the
larger research community, is simply too great.
As secretariat, I have always tried to conduct myself in a manner
which was in the best interests of the larger international community
and I will endeavor to do so in the future. However, because I have
been unable to secure an academic position in the United States for
the coming school year and am now exclusively engaged in commercial
activities, I feel that I should remove the potential for any such
conflict of interest on my part. Therefore, I am tendering my
resignation as secretariat and as a member of this committee.
I will, of course, remain available to John, Jean or Björn for any
advice they may require regarding the planning of the 3rd and 4th
symposia. In my place, I nominate Dr. Stephen Read of Delft
University to the secretariat of this committee and wholeheartedly
recommend him for the position.
Yours sincerely
Mark David Major
Committee Members
Professor Bill Hillier (Chairman), University College London Tim
Stonor, Space Syntax Limited
Dr Julienne Hanson, University College London Alan Penn,
University College London
Margarita Greene, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile Dr.
Stephen Read, Delft University
Dr. Frederico de Holanda, Universidade de Brasilia, Brazil Dr.
Mario Kruger, Universidade Coimbra
Professor Bjorn Klarqvist, Chalmers University
Dr Circe Gama Monterio, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco
Dr. Romulo Krafta, Universidade de Rio Grande do Sul
Dr. John Peponis (Executive Vice-chairman), Georgia Institute of
Technology, USA
Dr. Jean Wineman (Executive Vice-chairman) University of Michigan, USA
ACCEPTANCE OF RESIGNATION
5 September 2000
To: Mark David Major, Secretariat
From: Professor Bill Hillier, Chairman
Dear Mark - As Chairman of the Space Syntax Symposium Steering Committee, I
accept your resignation as Secretary. I will report this to the Committee.
I am sure they will wish to thank you for the huge efforts tou have made on
behalf of their behalf. - Bill
___________________________________________
Mark David Major, Executive Director
Building and Urban Design Research Studio
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