April 28th, 2026
6:00pm - 8:00pm
Akerman LLP
1251 Avenue of the Americas 37th floor, New York, NY, USA
Tricia Dietz is the Assistant Commissioner for Housing Incentives at NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development, overseeing the tax incentive programs (421-a, 485-x, 467-m, 420-c, Article XI and J-51), Zoning based affordable Housing programs (MIH, VIH, UAP, Cure), and Low Income Housing Tax Credit Administration.
Justin Pelsinger is a Partner and the Chief Operating Officer at Charney Companies, where he helps lead one of New York City’s most active and design-forward development firms. A seasoned real estate professional, his expertise spans equity and debt structuring, investment analysis, project management, construction, and underwriting, with direct oversight of all operating verticals, including development, general contracting, property management, and brokerage.
Justin has managed the development of more than 3 million square feet of residential and commercial projects in New York City and is currently overseeing over 3,000 additional apartments with total project capitalization exceeding $2 billion. His work includes transformative projects such as the Gowanus Wharf campus, a multi-phase development of approximately 2,200 residences, as well as multiple award-winning, design-driven buildings across the city.
Widely recognized within the industry, Justin was most recently named one of Crain’s 2023 Notable Leaders in Real Estate and has been honored by leading real estate publications for his contributions to the field. He is a frequent contributor to real estate trade outlets and industry events, and has served as a guest lecturer at New York University’s Schack Institute of Real Estate. He also sits on the Executive Committee of the Smeal College of Business Real Estate Advisory Board at Pennsylvania State University.
Justin holds a bachelor’s degree from Pennsylvania State University and a master’s degree in Real Estate Finance from NYU’s Schack Institute of Real Estate.
Toby Snyder is a Design Director at FXCollaborative, where he’s worked for 19 years as architect and urban designer. In Toby’s time at FXC, his studio has produced over 10,000 homes in New York City that range from institutional supportive housing for at-risk teens, to 100% affordable housing, to mixed income, to high end market rate condominiums. His recent design work includes stewarding sites through public approval processes, such as the recently approved OneLIC plan in Long Island City where their designs are responsible for more than 7,000 of the anticipated 14,000 units it will unlock.
Aida Stoddard is Senior Vice President of Development for MAG Partners and she works on the company’s ground up development projects. Aida has been working in the construction, design, and development fields in New York for more than twenty-five years. Prior to joining MAG Partners, Aida was Managing Director of Development at Gemdale USA, and has also previously worked with Jonathan Rose Companies and at Twining Properties where she managed development teams and worked on the development of multi-family and mixed-use buildings.
Join us for a conversation on the role of incentives in shaping where and how we build housing, with Tricia Dietz, Justin Pelsinger, Toby Snyder, and Aida Stoddard.
New York City has introduced a range of tools to spur affordable housing production, from the 485-x tax incentive to the zoning reforms of City of Yes. As these policies take hold, they are reshaping the decisions on how affordable housing gets built. Under 485-x, prevailing wage requirements above 100 units have driven a proliferation of 99-unit buildings – a telling example of how incentives can produce unintended consequences for building form and supply.
How can New York City use incentives to build more affordable housing without compromising on quality or feasibility?
Guest & Accessibility Policies
Urban Design Forum promotes conversations between invited civic leaders, designers, developers, and advocates. This event is open to Forum Members. Members may also invite a guest to join them.
We strive to host inclusive, accessible events that enable all individuals to engage fully.
- This venue is ADA accessible. There will be 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.
Continuing Education
This event has been submitted for AIA CES LUs.
About Public Works
Public Works is a discussion series to drive civic dialogue around new and forthcoming built environment projects in New York City. Throughout the year, we invite government officials and private sector leaders to present design and development initiatives that shape the public good. Our goal is to create an open and collegial venue for deeper conversation between the public sector and our network of civic leaders building, caring for, and maintaining our city.
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Public Works is made possible through the support of our Board of Directors, Director’s Circle, Company Members, and our Campaign for Courageous Leadership, and company and individual members. 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 Public Works, please contact Miranda Bellizia, miranda@urbandesignforum.org.
Image Credit: Kidfly182
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