Weiming Lu, who grew up in a family of architects, graduated from Cheng Kung University in 1952 and received a master’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Minnesota in 1954. He then attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he received a master’s degree in city and regional planning in 1957.

In 1959, Lu returned to Minnesota and joined the city of Minneapolis planning department where he eventually became the chief of environmental design. He was actively involved in many projects including the Interstate 35-W highway, Nicollet Mall, and the downtown skyway system. In 1971, Lu served as director of urban design for Dallas, Texas where he helped guide the growth of Dallas, save the Texas School Book Depository, and the Dallas Art District. In 1979, Lu returned to the Twin Cities and served as the deputy director for Urban Design for the Lowertown Redevelopment Corporation in St. Paul. Two years later, he became the executive director of the corporation, which is dedicated to creating a new urban village out of historic Lowertown in Saint Paul.

Weiming has received many awards including the first Quadrennial Presidential Award for Design Excellence and the Presidential Award from National Trust for Historic Preservation. He has published “Shan Shui Cities of Oriental Quality,” “The Tao of Urban Rejuvenation: Building a Livable Creative Urban Village,” among other works.

Photo credit: Weiming Lu