Through decades of teaching, designing and living in Ann Arbor, Peter Pollack left an indelible mark on the city, its leaders and his profession before his death Monday, city officials and family members said today. Pollack, who originally moved to the city in 1973 as an assistant professor in the University of Michigan School of Natural Resources, was involved in many projects for the city. Those included designing the Mary Beth Doyle Park and Wetland Preserve, the Furstenberg Interpretive Park and projects at the former Pfizer site on Plymouth Road, some of which were done pro bono.
Peter Pollack, FASLA, of Ann Arbor, Mich., will receive the ASLA Community Service Award for his sustained, pro bono service to the community demonstrating sound principles and values of landscape architecture. Pollack has contributed his landscape architecture expertise to citizen advisory committees, ad hoc mayoral committees, and neighborhood and civic groups for over 30 years, spanning policy making, physical planning, and project implementation. In his volunteer leadership positions, Pollack seeks to guide vision and perception, sort fact from emotional response, and create consensus.
Obituary
Peter M. Pollack, FAAR, FASLA, died December 20, 2010. Son of Marian and Jacob Pollack, Peter was born and raised in Philadelphia, PA. While at Penn State University, Peter discovered landscape architecture, a passion and calling that came to define his life. He attended Harvard's Graduate School of Design, working concurrently for Sasaki Associates in Watertown, MA. At Sasaki, he was part of the design team for the Christian Science Church Center in Boston and the siting of the Calder at MIT. In 1970-71, Peter was awarded the Rome Prize in landscape architecture, a Fellowship at the American Academy in Rome. In 1973, Peter joined the landscape architecture faculty at The University of Michigan where he taught for 13 years. Peter's love of teaching continued after he went on to pursue private practice. Over the years he would return to teaching on occasion at both The University of Michigan and Michigan State University. Pollack Design Associates grew out of Peter's passion for creating places for people. He enjoyed the design process, from walking a site to understanding how the land wanted to be used. He believed that good design would create places that people were drawn to use. Peter often said that the hand of the designer should not be felt, that once designed and built, a place for people should seem as if it had always been there. Over time, many Pollack Design Associates projects have been recognized for their design excellence, including the Fuller Road Boulevard early in the 1980s, Ann Arbor's first DDA Master Plan, 35 years of design at the former Pfizer site, Furstenberg Park, Bandemer Park, Mary Beth Doyle Park and Wetland Preserve; Frog Island Park and the Tridge in Depot Town, Ypsilanti; Herman Miller Inc.'s GreenHouse in Zeeland; and the Pere Marquette Rail Trail in Midland County. Peter so enjoyed the arena of design, planning and public engagement that he became involved in many community planning activities, sharing his abilities as an active and caring member of the community: Old Fourth Ward, North Central Property Owners Association, the former Citizens Association for Area Planning, Allen Creek Greenway Task Force, Market Commission and recently the Design Guidelines Task Force, all in Ann Arbor; charter member of Washtenaw County's Natural Areas Technical Advosry Commission; and a variety of state level committees over the years. In 2008 the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) honored Peter with its national Community Service Award acknowledging his consistent contributions over the years. Professionally Peter worked with ASLA on both Michigan Chapter and National levels. As a member of the Council on Education and Landscape Architecture Board of Accreditation, he has influenced national accreditation standards for graduate and undergraduate landscape architecture programs in the United States. Peter is survived by Eleanor, his wife and managing partner of Pollack Design, a 35 year partnership; his children, Michael (Somerville, MA) and daughter Johonna (Chicago); and his sister Susan Weber (Philadelphia). Family will receive friends and colleagues on Tuesday, January 4, from 4 to 8 p.m., at the Muehlig Funeral Chapel, Ann Arbor. A private burial has taken place. Contributions may be made to the American Academy in Rome, Development Office, 7 East 60th St, New York, NY 10022 or University Musical Society, Development Office, 881 N. University Ave, Ann Arbor, MI 48109.
