April 20th, 2023
6:00pm - 8:00pm
COOKFOX
250 West 57th Street 17th floor, New York, NY, USA
Isabel is a strategic and urban designer interested in exploring strategies to overcome socio-economic disparities and build agency through design. She is currently an Associate Urban Designer at the New York City Housing Authority. With a background in community planning, urbanism, and architecture her recent practice is focused on developing strategies of open-decision making to empower communities to shape their built environment.
Dr. Thompson is an Assistant Professor in the Departments of Community Health Sciences in the School of Public Health. She holds a DrPH and MPH in Sociomedical Sciences from Columbia University and a B.A. in journalism from Howard University. Her research focuses on the social determinants of substance use and mental health, with an emphasis on racial/ethnic minority women in urban settings.
Kelli Peterman is an urban planner focused on community health and wellness and works in the Division of Mental Hygiene at the NYC Health Department. Kelli oversees a diverse portfolio of initiatives at the intersection of mental health and urban planning and is a core member of the DOHMH Health Equity in Urban Planning workgroup.
Join us for a discussion on the role of city parks and open space in supporting mental health, with Kelli Peterman, Azure Thompson, and Isabel Saffon.
Parks and open space can be oases for improving mood and promoting cognitive functioning. Yet homogeneous public spaces can unwittingly neglect or criminalize stigmatized communities, including individuals with diverse mental health needs. New design and programming approaches can challenge stigma and extend the benefits of parks to all New Yorkers.
As a preview of our forthcoming Good Form policy platform, Safe Experiences Working Group fellows Kelli Peterman, Azure Thompson, and Isabel Saffon will present their group’s proposals to leverage city parks as contact points for mental health services. Following their presentation, we will invite Forum Fellows to offer feedback and help strategize how to drive the proposal forward.
How can new infrastructure and inclusive design improve the mental health experience for all park goers?
Guest & Safety Policies
Urban Design Forum promotes conversation between invited civic leaders, designers, developers and advocates. Forum Fellows are welcome to invite one additional guest to attend.
If you’re not feeling well, please stay home. Face masks are encouraged, but not required. If you have been exposed to someone who tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 10 days, a high-quality, well-fitting face covering is required at all times.
About Good Form
Good Form is a yearlong initiative to deepen dialogues between the public health and design community. Through working groups and public programs, Urban Design Forum will advance transformational ideas to shape health equity in design and development for all New Yorkers. Centering Safe Experiences is the first roundtable to preview upcoming recommendations from Urban Design Forum’s forthcoming platform of ideas to be released in Spring 2023.
Our program is made possible through the support of our Board of Directors, Director’s Circle and Fellows. To learn about how you can support our programs and inquiries, please contact Miranda Bellizia, Director of Member Engagement, miranda@urbandesignforum.org.
Continuing Education
Urban Design Forum is now an AIA CES provider. If there are other continuing education credits you are interested in receiving, please contact Miranda Bellizia, Director of Member Engagement, miranda@urbandesignforum.org. This program has been submitted for AIA CES.
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