On June 25, SOM Managing Partner Larry Chien delivered a keynote address at the 2026 Council on Vertical Urbanism (CVU) China Conference in Guangzhou. Themed “Revitalizing High-Density Cities: Urban Vitality and Ecological Resilience,” the event convened leaders from across the built environment to explore the challenges and opportunities shaping the future of our urban centers.

In his presentation, “Resilient Symbiosis: SOM’s Practice of High-Density Urban Renewal,” Chien shared insights into how design reshapes complex and high-density landscapes, citing SOM’s global urban renewal portfolio. Highlights included Guangzhou Baietan Julong Bay, the venue of this year’s conference and part of a larger SOM-designed master plan; San Francisco’s Transbay Redevelopment, a reimagined, transit-centered district that serves as a model for sustainable urbanism woven seamlessly into the urban fabric; and the revitalization of Manhattan’s West Side, where SOM has been the driving force for more than two decades, stitching together infrastructure, architecture, and public space to create a continuous urban experience from Penn Station to the Hudson River.