God’s Business: Religion and Development in New York City

Religious institutions in New York City face both financial strain and rising land values, and are engaging increasingly in development deals through the sale of property and development rights. These transactions potentially have profound architectural, cultural, civic, and theological implications that are reshaping communities throughout the city.

How do architects best serve these religious institutions, their communities, and the public? How should religious institutions reconcile development pressures with their core mission? What is the value of religious buildings to the public, communities, and neighborhoods?

The panel, composed of an architect, a real estate advisor, a pastor and author, and an advocate for preservation, will explore the nature of these transactions, current trends, institutional considerations, the public interest, and the role of design in the future of houses of worship in New York City.

Speakers:
Stephen Cassell, AIA, LEED AP, Principal, Architecture Research Office
Ann-Isabel Friedman, Director, Sacred Sites Program, New York Landmarks Conservancy
Rev. Dr. Donna Schaper, Senior Minister, Judson Memorial Church
Ira Schuman, Executive Vice President, Director, Co-branch Manager, Savills Studley Commercial Real Estate Advisors 

Moderator: Michael J. Crosbie, PhD, FAIA, Editor-in-Chief, Faith & Form: The Interfaith Journal on Religion, Art and Architecture