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1.5 LU / 1.5 HSW

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In recent years shifts in expectations and consumption have led to a surge in the movement of goods and services, leading to accelerated growth of urban freight ecosystems with real implications for cities. The operations and facilities that support goods movement affect a wide range of stakeholders, including communities, industry, and government, as well as those in professional practice whose design work focuses on urban freight and the public right of way. This event brings together panelists representing some of those diverse voices for dialogue on how goods movement and neighborhood needs can be balanced to create more livable communities.

This public program accompanies the release of a multi-committee task force document summarizing impacts and opportunities associated with urban freight. The program will feature a presentation of specific, actionable, approaches showing how planning and design can create benefits for residents and freight operators  through innovative site-scale strategies. At system-scale, we will spotlight vital opportunities for rethinking multi-modal infrastructure. Our discussion will address sustainability, freight as part of a circular material loop, and the need for equitable outcomes for communities that are disproportionately impacted by freight operations and facilities.

Please join us for an evening dedicated to sharing new perspectives on what the future could be for people-centered urban freight in New York City.

Speakers:
Sandra Rothbard, AICP, Founder, Freight Matters
Jack Schmidt, Director of Transportation Engineering and Program Administration, NYC Department of City Planning
Diniece Mendes, EIT, Director of Freight Mobility, NYC Department of Transportation
Paul Lipson, Principal, Barretto Bay Strategies

Moderator:
Margaret Newman, FAIA, LEED BD+C, Practice Leader, Urban Places + Smart Mobility, Stantec

About the Speakers:
Sandra Rothbard is an urban planner with expertise in freight transportation. She supports clients worldwide developing city logistics plans and projects related to consolidation, curb management, multimodal delivery, land use, and more. Rothbard has worked for government agencies, non-profit organizations and the private sector on last-mile delivery, solid waste management, and emergency logistics efforts. She is a passionate advocate for building safe streets and healthy communities through sustainable and resilient goods movement. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners and TRB Freight Transportation Planning and Logistics Committee, and a founding board member of the Urban Assembly School for Global Commerce in NYC. Rothbard has served three terms as a member of Brooklyn Community Board 2.

Jack Schmidt is a transportation planner with over 35 years of experience in city government. He was Director of the Transportation Division at the NYC Department of City Planning for the last 20 years. In 2022, the Transportation Division was divided into two units and Schmidt now leads the Transportation Engineering and Program Administration Division. In this capacity, he manages a professional planning staff, contributing policy guidance and technical support to the City Planning Commission Chair and the Mayor’s Office in the areas of transportation engineering, capital project priorities, the traffic circulation system, public transportation, freight, finance, environmental impacts, and other related issues. Schmidt is also responsible for managing and administering federal transportation grant programs.

Diniece Mendes is an experienced transportation professional with over eight years of progressive public sector experience. She currently serves as Director for Freight Mobility at the NYC Department of Transportation, managing a complex portfolio of transformative freight mobility programs in the New York City area, ensuring individuals, businesses, and affected communities have equitable access to the goods they need without compromising livability. Mendes serves on the Board of Governors at ASCE’s Transportation and Development Institute and is an active member in the Institute of Transportation Engineers’ Urban Goods Movement Committee. She holds a MS in Civil Engineering from UT Austin and a BE Civil Engineering from City College CUNY.

Paul Lipson is an urban solutions consultant with a specialization in food systems, renewables, and battery-electric transportation for metropolitan areas. He is Principal at Barretto Bay Strategies, a firm that advises public agencies, OEMs, and clean tech firms with projects positioned at the interface of public policy and market development. Lipson co-founded and from 1994 to 2004 served as Executive Director of The POINT Community Development Corporation, a pioneering neighborhood revitalization organization based in the Hunts Point section of the Bronx. From 2004 to 2011, Lipson served as Chief of Staff to Congressman Jose E. Serrano (NY-16), a senior appropriator from the Bronx. In 2009, Lipson served as principal author of the American Electric Vehicle Manufacturing Act (HR 4399), a bill introduced with bi-partisan support and aimed at scaling up the domestic electric vehicle industry. Beginning in 2011, Lipson authored, co-authored, or served as investigator on numerous studies and position papers for NYSERDA on topics including electric vehicles, green loading zones, and public access charging infrastructure.

Margaret Newman is an architect and urban planner. She joined Stantec in May 2021 as the Practice Leader for Urban Places and Smart Mobility. With a focus on building complex projects in urban environments, Newman works with a diverse group of clients including private industry, cultural institutions, and public agencies. She served as Chief of Staff for the NYC Department of Transportation under Mayor Bloomberg and Commissioner Sadik-Khan, where she directed major agency projects including the capital construction plan for Times Square. Newman is currently serving as Board President at the Urban Design Forum.

A founding partner in Marren and Newman Architects, a multidisciplinary architecture firm in New York, she is a frequent participant on panels and design juries and is currently on the faculty at the Michael Graves School of Public Architecture at Kean University. A Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, Newman was recognized for her role in changing the streets of New York.

This event is offered in person and virtually. COVID-19 vaccinations and face masks are strongly recommended for all visitors. 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.

Organized by
AIANY Transportation and Infrastructure Committee; AIANY Planning and Urban Design; AIANY Committee on the Environment
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