Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. (1870-1957) was an American landscape architect most known for his wildlife conservation efforts and urban park designs. He was a founding member and later served as president of the American Society of Landscape Architects. Following early work with his acclaimed father on projects such as the Biltmore Estate (in North Carolina) and the World's Columbian Exposition (in Chicago), his signature works include the National Mall, the Jefferson Memorial, the White House grounds, Cornell University (campus planning), Rock Creek Park (Washington, D.C.), Forest Hills Gardens (New York), Piedmont Park (Atlanta), and parks for many other U.S. cities. Notable ecological conservation work under his stewardship includes national parks projects at Acadia, Redwood, Yosemite, the Everglades, and the Potomac River.

Cass Gilbert (1859-1934) was a prominent American architect often associated with the early skyscraper movement. He served as president of the American Institute of Architects. His noted works include the U.S. Supreme Court Building, the St. Louis Library, the St. Louis Museum of Art, numerous state capitol buildings, and the acclaimed Woolworth Building in New York.

Alan Plattus is a professor of architecture and urbanism at the Yale School of Architecture. He has published and lectured widely on urban representation and the history of cities, as well as on contemporary American architecture and urbanism, and he has conducted urban policy workshops for citizens and civic groups. He founded and directs the Yale Urban Design Workshop and Center for Urban Design Research, which undertakes research and design studies for communities throughout Connecticut and the metropolitan region.

Vincent Scully (1920-2017) was Sterling Professor Emeritus at Yale University. He was widely regarded as North America's preeminent architectural historian. He is the author of numerous books, including ten seminal works in architectural and urban design history. Among his many awards are the National Medal of Arts and the Urban Land Institute's J. C. Nichols Prize for Visionaries in Urban Development. The National Endowment for the Humanities chose Scully to deliver its prestigious Jefferson Lecture, and the National Building Museum has established the Vincent Scully Prize in Scully's honor.

Douglas Rae is a professor of political science and management at Yale University and the author of City: Urbanism and Its End and numerous other works about cities in capitalist settings. In 1990-91 he served as chief administrative officer of New Haven under John Daniels, the city's first African American mayor. His many honors include the Hurfurth and Hallett Prizes.