Crystal Eksi is a Senior Urban Designer at New York City’s Department of City Planning, where she helps to envision and plan a more livable, equitable and enjoyable city through design. Over the last decade, Crystal has collaborated with city agencies and residents to plan for the future of neighborhoods throughout New York’s five boroughs, all while developing complex policies and solutions for New York’s planning framework and developing tools to guide a more informed planning process. Crystal’s interests in community planning, housing, the public realm, urban agriculture and transportation infrastructure allow her to bring interdisciplinary professionals, community members and leaders together to explore and develop multi-faceted solutions to her city’s issues. As a mentor, she encourages young planners and designers to do the same.