WASHINGTON, Jan. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy has appointed National Civic Art Society president Justin Shubow chairman of the new, first-of-its-kind Beautifying Transportation Infrastructure Council.
As the U.S. Department of Transportation announced in October:
The Council will advise the Secretary on policy and design opportunities to build beautiful structures and restore the beauty of key transportation infrastructure, including highways, bridges, and transit hubs. . . . The Council will identify best practices, develop aesthetic performance metrics, and provide guidance on projects that enhance public spaces and reflect local character. . . .
The creation of this Council aligns with President Trump’s Executive Order (E.O.) 14344, Making Federal Architecture Beautiful Again, which aims to update the policies guiding federal architecture design.
Shubow helped draft that Executive Order, issued in August 2025, which reoriented federal architecture from modernism to classical and traditional design. He also prompted and helped draft a similar Executive Order, Promoting Beautiful Federal Civic Architecture, issued by President Trump during his first term.
The Council’s first meeting, which Secretary Duffy will attend, will take place at USDOT on February 2nd from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM EST. The meeting will stream live online via Zoom, but members of the public must register in advance to watch. Register at https://usdot.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_7gP6ZdlGSYeDFFvufdQOAA .
Shubow commented on his recent appointment, “It is a true honor to be appointed chairman of the Beautifying Transportation Infrastructure Council. From the Golden Gate Bridge to the Merritt Parkway, from Dulles Airport to Cincinnati Union Terminal, America has constructed some of the most aesthetically pleasing infrastructure in the world. Our country did it before, and we can do it again. Beauty in design must not be an afterthought, dismissed as an alleged luxury or anachronism in the name of pure functionalism. Yet for decades far too much of our built environment has been soulless and ugly. Harmony with the natural and historic landscape matters, as does urban revitalization. People want to live, work, and travel in lovable, inspiring places. I look forward to working with the Council in providing guidance on the aesthetics of design.”
Founded in 2002, the National Civic Art Society is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that educates and empowers civic leaders in the promotion of public art and architecture worthy of our great Republic. We do this by advancing the classical tradition in architecture, urbanism, and their allied arts. Through our programs and initiatives we guide government agencies and officials; assist practitioners; and educate students and the general public in the preservation and creation of beautiful, dignified public buildings, monuments, and spaces.
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SOURCE National Civic Art Society
