June 5th, 2024
6:00pm - 8:00pm
Field Operations
4 Bryant Park, New York, NY, USA
Myles is the Senior Manager of Green Infrastructure at NYC Audubon. He first joined the NYC Audubon team as field technician for the Herring Gull Conservation and Management Program in 2021. Subsequently, he completed a master’s degree in Conservation Biology, where he used wildlife trail cameras to understand how mammals are distributed throughout New York City’s greenspaces, and established a camera transect to monitor city wildlife across a gradient of urban intensity.
Zenobia is an Associate Managing Principal at Future Green where she has overseen a variety of urban projects, including Atlantic Plumbing Residences in the post-industrial Northwest Quarter in Washington D.C. and Gallaudet University Masterplan. She has worked across all phases of design on a range of project types including public, institutional, and residential. Prior to joining Future Green, Zenobia practiced at Reed Hilderbrand New Haven where she contributed to a masterplan for the Mill River Trail with the City of New Haven and oversaw design, construction and planning for projects at the The Clark Art Institute and Yale University.
Qiana Mickie is the Executive Director of the NYC Mayor’s Office of Urban Agriculture. By collaborating with a breadth of inter-agency leaders and urban agriculture stakeholders, Qiana has developed innovative initiatives to foster healthy, culturally relevant food production, educational trainings, and economic development opportunities for farmers and producers in the city. Qiana has developed an M/WBE pipeline for small and socially disadvantaged businesses, bolstered land security for community gardeners and recently released NYC's first urban agriculture report and action plan.
Alejandro is a landscape designer at Field Operations with a passion for sustainable community-led public spaces. Alejandro is co-leading a series of projects in his native Miami, where he recently completed The Underline’s Phase 1. With a decade of experience at Field Operations, Alejandro is a meticulous and creative thinker who brings unparalleled thought to his craft and a collaborative approach to his projects, resulting in public spaces that are vibrant, distinctive, and highly memorable.
Join us for a roundtable discussion on biodiversity as a foundation for good neighborhood design with Myles Davis, Zenobia Meckley, Qiana Mickie and Alejandro Vazquez.
From improving mental and physical health to reducing the impacts of extreme heat and flooding, nature has proven to be a vital tool in protecting residents from climate change. However, New York City’s fragmented natural landscape restricts the benefits of green space and biodiversity to infrequent doses. To ensure these benefits are accessible to all, we must incorporate nature into the way we design our buildings and public spaces
We will discuss strategies for integrating biodiversity into New York City neighborhoods with Myles Davis, Zenobia Meckley, Qiana Mickie and Alejandro Vazquez. Following presentations, we will invite responses from attendees.
How can we reframe conversations about urban biodiversity to emphasize its importance as critical neighborhood infrastructure rather than merely an amenity?
Guest & Accessibility Policies
Urban Design Forum promotes conversations between invited civic leaders, designers, developers, and advocates. This event is open to Forum Fellows and their guests. Fellows can RSVP through this link.
We strive to host inclusive, accessible events that enable all individuals to engage fully.
- The venue will have an entrance and elevators that are ADA-accessible.
- This event will have microphones and speakers.
- If you’re not feeling well, please stay home. Face masks are encouraged, particularly if you have been recently exposed to colds, flus, or other illness. 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.
- Please refrain from wearing strong fragrances to accommodate guests with allergies or environmental sensitivities.
- If you have additional needs, we will do our best to accommodate. Please contact rsvp@urbandesignforum.org.
About Rewire
Our 2024 Next New York initiative, Rewire, explores how we can reshape the existing city to build climate-positive neighborhoods. Through public programs and working groups, Fellows will advance ideas to adapt existing buildings and public spaces to reduce carbon and protect from climate impacts.
Rewire is made possible with lead support from Stantec and the continued support of our Board of Directors, Director’s Circle, and company and individual members. Special thanks to Thornton Tomasetti for hosting our working group meetings. Our programs are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
To learn more about supporting Rewire, please contact Miranda Bellizia, miranda@urbandesignform.org.
Image credit: Eden, Janine and Jim
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