2026 APANYM Annual Conference

2026 APANY Metro Chapter Annual Conference

The Affordability Mandate: Planning for a Thriving Region

Join us for the 2026 American Planning Association New York Metro Chapter Annual Conference, a pivotal event focusing on the future of our metro region.

Date: Thursday, October 15, 2026
Time: 9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Location: NYU Kimmel Center for University Life
Address: 60 Washington Square S, New York, NY 10012

Hosted by the NYU Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, the conference will feature keynotes, expert panels, and workshops, all designed to foster innovation and collaboration among urban planners, policymakers, and transit professionals.

AICP Certification Maintenance (CM) Credits available

MORNING PLENARY — ROSENTHAL PAVILION

9:00–9:20 AM — Welcome Remarks
9:20–9:40 AM — Chapter President’s Remarks
9:40–10:10 AM — Chapter Overview and Announcements
10:10–10:30 AM — Remarks from the NYU Wagner 
10:30–11:00 AM — Keynote: Sideya Sherman, Director, NYC Dept. of City Planning 
11:00–11:45 AM — APANYM Chapter Awards Ceremony
11:45 AM–12:45 PM — Lunch

12:50–1:50 PM — SESSION BLOCK 1

Innovations in Data Collection: Overcoming Obstacles to Build, Build, Build
Presenters: Ryan White — Jacobs; Liz Russell — NYC Economic Development Corporation (pending confirmation).
Room: Rosenthal Pavilion

Flushing Meadows Corona Park Resiliency Study: Advancing Nature-Based Climate Adaptation in One of New York City’s Largest Parks
Presenters: Final lineup pending.
Room: 802

Building the Public Stack — Community-Centered AI and the Future of Civic Infrastructure
Presenters: Megan Marini and Rajesh Sankat — 3x3; Jamil Ellis — Unified Ground.
Room: 903

Working for NYC: Intro to Civil Service & Job Hunting Tips
Presenters: Morgan Geraghty and Len Garcia-Duran — NYC Department of City Planning. Additional presenters pending.
Room: 905/907

Building a Resilient City Through Neighborhood Partnerships
Presenters: Isabelle Thomas — NYC Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice; Annabel Finkel and Hassan Saleem — Starr Whitehouse; Youngjin Song — ONE Architecture; Nickie Mitch, moderator — Arcadis.
Room: 909

Ethics in Planning: Guiding Principles for Professional Planners
Presenters: Peter Feroe — AKRF; Susan Favate — BFJ Planning.
Room: 912

2:00–3:00 PM — SESSION BLOCK 2

The Costs of Inaction: Climate Risk, Affordability, and the Future of Our Region
Presenters: David Burgy — Stantec; Hannah Glosser — HR&A Advisors. Additional panelists pending.
Room: Rosenthal Pavilion

From Capacity to Construction: Can New York Deliver 700,000 Homes in Ten Years?
Presenters: Kirk Goodrich — Monadnock Development; Nate Bliss — Latent Urban Ventures; Moses Gates — Regional Plan Association; Brian Steinwurtzel — GFP Development; Additional panelists pending.
Room: 802

Beyond Unit Counts: Measuring the Community Benefits of Affordable Housing
Presenters: Shiva Ghomi and Tom Loftus — Aufgang Architects
Room: 903

A Park for Today and Tomorrow: Balancing Climate Resilience, Equity, and Quality of Life at East River Park
Presenters: Jeffrey Margolies — NYC Department of Design and Construction; Melissa Haldeman — NYC Department of Parks & Recreation; Desiree Gazzo, Pauline Claramunt Torche and Ethan Kraft — HNTB.
Room: 905/907

Potential Trip Value: Measuring the Cost of Missed Opportunities
Presenter: Hana Shuck
Organization: STV
Room: 909

Rethinking Storefronts: Data, Demand, and the Future of NYC’s Commercial Streets
Presenters: Michael Carper — NYC Department of City Planning; Larisa Ortiz — Streetsense; Chris Bradicich — Live XYZ; Sally Burns — Union Square Partnership.
Room: 912

3:20–4:20 PM — SESSION BLOCK 3

Revisiting the Role of Community Planning in Building and Maintaining Equitable Neighborhoods
Presenters: Ronald Shiffman — Pratt Center for Planning and the Environment; Mychal Johnson — South Bronx Unite; Juan Camilo Osorio — NYC City Planning Commission; Jeannette Rausch — New York State Department of State.
Room: Rosenthal Pavilion

Bus Oriented Development: A Model for Housing at the Brooklyn Marine Terminal
Presenters: Sam Frommer — Buro Happold; Jeff Smithline — T.Y. Lin; Seth Ullman — NYC Economic Development Corporation.
Room: 802

No Cloud Required: A Hands-On Guide to Open-Source AI Tools for Planning Practice
Presenter: Andrew Buck
Organizations: APA NY Metro Technology Committee / APA Technology Division
Room: 903

SEQRA Reform in Practice: Streamlining Environmental Review While Preserving Meaningful Analysis
Presenters: Hillary Semel — NYC Mayor’s Office of Environmental Coordination; Olga Abinader — GZA GeoEnvironmental; Stephanie Shellooe — NYC Department of City Planning; Laura Kenny Kent — Alumni Planning Solutions.
Room: 905/907

Building Cooler, More Equitable Communities
Presenter: Josef Szende — NYC Department of Transportation. Additional panelists pending.
Room: 909

New York City’s Rental Affordability Challenge
Presenters: Ingrid Gould Ellen, Brad Greenburg, Hayley Raetz and Helen Ketema. NYU Furman Center; Speaker lineup subject to change.
Room: 912

4:30–5:30 PM — SESSION BLOCK 4

ADUs at Scale: Accelerating Housing Production Across the NYC Region
Presenters: Chris Rice and Mario Giampieri — WXY; Doug Pardella — NYC Office of the Deputy Mayor for Housing and Planning; Charlotte Bell — Habitat for Humanity.
Room: Rosenthal Pavilion

Collaborative Resiliency: Rebuilding Private Assets for Public Benefit
Presenters: Charles Hovanic — NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development; Mitchel Loring — Arcadis; Dhwani Mehta and Laura Starr — Starr Whitehouse.
Room: 802

From Engagement to Leadership: Finding Your Path within APA
Presenters: Byron A. Nicholas — AICP Region 1; Tara Paxton — AICP Nominating Committee; Aditi Galande — APA Student Representatives Council, Region 1; Alex J. Wallach — APA NY Metro Chapter.
Room: 903

Transportation Infrastructure Delivery: From Neighborhood to Region
Presenters: Chris Hrones and Sean Quinn — NYC Department of Transportation; Adam Levine — New York Metropolitan Transportation Council; Chris Henry, moderator — IMEG.
Room: 905/907

From Jobs to Ecosystems: Planning Neighborhoods for Economic Mobility
Presenters: Celeste Frye — Public Works Partners; Evelyn Ortiz — Opportunities for a Better Tomorrow; Jesse Solomon — Southwest Brooklyn Industrial Development Corporation; Alex Mitchell — BATWorks / Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator; Preston Anderson — NYC Economic Development Corporation.
Room: 909

Land Use and Planning Law Updates in New York: Public Use Variances, Shifting Technology, and Housing Reforms
Presenters: Edward Lamson and Steven Jacobs — BJH Advisors; Jessica A. Bacher — Land Use Law Center.
Room: 912