Public Housing, Practice, and Design: New York + London

Amid the current housing and affordability crisis, there is a clear need for city governments to take an expanded role in promoting the practice of good design in the provision of affordable housing, and in recognizing the role of housing as a critical building block of strong neighborhoods. This symposium explores new cultures of municipal leadership and public/private partnerships to meet the ever-growing need for quality affordable housing and sustainable community development in both London and New York.

London and New York share remarkably similar trajectories in the evolution of modes of housing delivery over the last century. In the mid-20th century, publicly funded housing was front and center of urban reform; London and New York mirrored one another in terms of the scale and scope of their enlightened municipal building programs that sought to raise living standards, improve the public realm, and renew urban fabric. From the 1980s through the turn of the century, however, much of the growth enjoyed by both cities has been driven by private development, the privatization of public assets, and what many call the commodification of housing, leading to a severe decline in the availability of housing that’s affordable.

Today, both cities face a similar set of crises, including climate change, social and economic injustices, and an ongoing pandemic that has disproportionately affected low-income communities, all of which compound the impact of a newly emerging housing crisis marked by the largest shortage of affordable housing in either city’s history. 

Co-organized by the AIANY Housing Committee and Center for Architecture, with significant contributions from NYC's Public Design Commission, this symposium will explore the role of city and municipal governments in promoting good design in publicly subsidized housing and community development. With keynote speakers including Jessica Katz, NYC’s Chief Housing Officer, and Tom Copley, London Deputy Mayor for Housing, and contributions from architects, policymakers, and design advocates from both sides of the Atlantic, including Paul Karakusevic, Andy Bernheimer, Peter O’Brien, Delma Palma, Pooja Agrawal, and Rebecca Macklis, as well as David Burney, Karen Kubey, and Brian Loughlin, this half-day symposium explores parallel approaches to the role of city government in promoting good design and recent changes in municipal culture.

As both New York and London look ahead to dealing with this new housing crisis, we ask: What does a new municipal culture for housing look like? How can we deliver it? How do we shift our current understanding of civic wellbeing and what role could our housing stock and the fabric of the city’s diverse neighborhoods play in improving community health, resilience, and equity?

Program:
9:00 AM (14:00 BST) — Doors Open

9:30 AM (14:30 BST) — Welcome 
Benjamin Prosky, Assoc. AIA, Executive Director, AIA New York | Center for Architecture

9:45 AM (14:45 BST) — Housing Cultures  
Moderator: David Burney, FAIA, Academic Director of Urban Placemaking Management, Pratt Institute
Tom Copley, Deputy Mayor for Housing, City of London 
Jessica Katz, Chief Housing Officer, City of New York

10:45 AM (15:45 BST) — Break

11:00 AM (16:00 BST) — Historical Context and Current Trends 
Brian Loughlin, AIA, APA, Co-Chair, AIANY Housing Committee; Director of Planning and Urban Design, Magnusson Architecture and Planning

11:30 AM (16:30 BST) — Housing Practice & Design 
Moderator: Karen Kubey, Visiting Associate Professor, Pratt Institute; Adjunct Associate Professor, Columbia GSAPP
Pooja Agrawal, CEO, Public Practice
Andrew Bernheimer, FAIA, Founder, Bernheimer Architecture
Paul Karakusevic, Founder, Karakusevic Carson Architects
Rebecca Macklis, Deputy Director for Architecture, Urban Design & Special Initiatives, NYC Public Design Commission
Delma Palma, Deputy Director, New York City Housing Authority
Osama Shoush, Strategic Lead, Southwark Construction, Southwark Council

12:30 PM (17:30 BST) — Closing Remarks 
Peter Bafitis, AIA, Co-Chair, AIANY Housing Committee; Managing Principal, RKTB 

1:00 PM (18:00 BST) — Program End

Related Resources:
Designing New York: Quality Affordable Housing, NYC Public Design Commission  
Quality Affordable Housing Database, NYC Public Design Commission
Guideline Recommendation for Pandemic Resilience and Neighborhood Change, NYC Public Design Commission
Connected Communities Guidebook, NYC Department of City Planning and New York City Housing Authority 
NYCHAPedia: A Qualitative Formal Analysis of the New York City Housing Authority, Bernheimer Architecture 
Public Housing Works, Karakusevic Carson Architects 

This event is offered in person and virtually; proof of complete COVID-19 vaccination (for attendees ages 5 and up) with photo ID for adults is required to attend in person. Food and beverages will be served. Face masks are required for visitors ages 2-5, and optional for those vaccinated. Read our full Health and Safety Protocol here.

If you register for an online ticket, you will receive an email with a Zoom link to access the program.