FAQ
If you have additional questions, please contact submissions@urbandesignforum.org.
Info Session recording can be accessed here.
Is the fellowship open to international or non-local applicants? Is there a possibility for remote/hybrid attendance?
New City Critics Fellows will meet in person in New York City. Fellows must live or work in the New York metropolitan area for the duration of the program. If you are not based in New York City when applying, you will need to provide proof or a plan demonstrating your commitment to be in NYC during the fellowship.
I am a structural engineer working in New York City. Can I apply?
Yes. Writers and urbanists of varying ages, experiences, and disciplines, and working in the public or private sectors, are encouraged to apply, as long as they have a body of written work to share that reflects critical writing on urban design, development, and daily life that reflects the people who live in cities.
Will the fellowship provide US visa or employment sponsorship?
No. Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States.
How do you define early- to mid-career writers? Is there an age limit?
The fellowship is open to candidates of all ages and has no educational or degree requirements. Candidates should possess experience in both writing and urban practice, though we expect the balance to vary. We encourage submissions that demonstrate prior publication and significant engagement with the field of cities and urbanism.
Can candidates have a full-time job or be in school during the fellowship?
The program is intended to complement fellows’ current employment or academic pursuits. Fellows will meet on Monday evenings twice a month in New York City after work hours with meals provided for those sessions. During the 9-month fellowship, there will be an estimated total of 55 hours dedicated to program sessions. To see the greatest benefit of the fellowship’s offerings, we expect fellows to commit to around 8 hours per week outside of sessions for reading, research, and writing.
For the application, should the statement of interest be a stand-alone, 500-word critical work or incorporate a personal angle as well?
In the statement of interest, we want to understand your perspective on contemporary urban writing and learn about the ideas and values driving your work. This is an opportunity to share the conversations you are engaged in, the critiques you have, and how you position yourself in the discourse on cities.
Are candidates expected to have a topic of research before applying to the fellowship program?
We do not expect candidates to have a developed research topic. The statement of interest will be an opportunity for candidates to share the ideas and values propelling their work and how they are engaging with the critical discourse on cities.
Will submission materials be kept confidential?
Application materials will be kept confidential and used for the selection committee review only.
Can topics and fields of interest be outside the current Overton Window of general architecture or design publications or even Urban Omnibus?
Yes. New City Critics seeks to encourage a more expansive conversation on the future of cities. We are open to and excited to work with participants on a wide range of topics relevant to urban design and development and not currently found in mainstream discourse.
For writing samples, are published works from the past 3 years acceptable?
Writing samples should have been published within the last five years.
What is considered “published” work? Can self-published work be considered?
“Published” work refers to writings made available to a larger audience through formal channels, such as print or online platforms. This includes articles, essays, or papers that have appeared in newspapers, magazines, journals, books, or recognized online platforms or blogs. Self-published work, such as personal blogs, curated social media, or newsletters, can also be considered if produced with an audience in mind and reflects the author’s critical engagement with urbanism or related topics.
Can I submit different media other than writing in my application?
You will have two opportunities to share your work in the application. The required writing sample submission can include images but will be evaluated in terms of writing and storytelling. You can use the optional additional work sample to share a project in a different medium.
Should the writing samples have to do with NYC and/or design and the built
environment?
Writing samples do not need to focus on New York City or the built environment. However, we expect candidates’ Statements of Interest to respond to writings on New York City’s built environment or cities in general.
Can work samples be co-authored?
Additional work samples could be co-authored with a clear indication of project roles, but the main writing sample should be your work only.
Do we own the copyrights of work published in the program and are we able to disseminate it elsewhere in the future?
All written material published on Urban Omnibus is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works license unless otherwise specified. This means writers are free and encouraged to repost and reprint articles elsewhere, with attribution. The rights to all images published on Urban Omnibus are retained by the artist or rights holder as specified. For other works published as part of the fellowship, copyright and ownership will be subject to the policies of the relevant publication.
How do you define critics from underrepresented backgrounds?
Candidates of all ethnicities, races, genders, ages, professional or educational backgrounds, national origin, sexual orientation, religion, and physical abilities are welcome to apply. We encourage applications from those who do not see themselves or their experiences or perspectives reflected in the fields of criticism, urbanism, and design today.
Will the semi-finalist interviews be in person or online?
Program staff will conduct online interviews with candidates during the last week of July 2025.
If awarded the fellowship, is there a timetable for the disbursement of the stipend?
The honorarium will be disbursed in three installments: at the beginning, midpoint, and conclusion of the fellowship.
What will public programming throughout the fellowship look like?
Fellows receive courtesy year-long memberships to both Urban Design Forum and the Architectural League and are encouraged to take full advantage of the events each has to offer. In addition, fellows will be expected to participate in two New City Critics public discussions, as well as the final culminating event.
How are fellows supported to advance their writing career during and after the fellowship?
Throughout the fellowship, sessions will be geared towards equipping fellows with tools to navigate the industry. The fellowship will also aim to increase the visibility of the fellows and their writings through each organization’s respective newsletters and social media. In addition, the Forum and the League programs give ample opportunity for fellows to network with experts in the field as well as New City Critics alumni.
What opportunities will there be to engage with mediums other than writing during this fellowship?
New City Critics aims to think expansively about modes of criticism today. While there will be opportunity to engage with the mediums of photo, audio and other media, a strong emphasis will be on writing.
Are graduate theses accepted as writing samples?
At least one writing sample needs to be written for a non-expert reader or in a non-academic mode. This is not an academic fellowship and therefore is not a place to develop academic writing or research.
How many writing assignments will there be during the fellowship?
This fellowship is writing intensive. There will be 4 to 5 written submissions of 2000 words maximum each with shorter assignments in between.
Structure
Fellows will meet twice each month throughout the 9-month program.
The fellowship is organized into modules, each focused on developing a specific critical skill and new written work. Modules will focus on reading critical texts on the city; writing about urban places and projects; writing with and about actors in citymaking; and reviewing texts, objects, and events.
Fellowship sessions will include conversations and workshops with members of the program Advisory Board, and with guest writers, editors, advocates, practitioners, and change makers in the built environment. In other sessions, Fellows will develop and workshop their writing together.
The Architectural League, Urban Omnibus, and Urban Design Forum staff will support Fellows’ research and networking across the broader media community and built environment professions.
Fellows will complete regular writing assignments and publish selected work in a dedicated New City Critics newsletter and section on Urban Omnibus.
Who Should Apply
We welcome applicants who are passionate about introducing readers to the complex, delightful, and fraught experiences of our cities and shedding light on how neighborhoods are shaped, managed, and lived in.
We invite applications from early- to mid-career writers or urbanists deeply committed to making cities legible to broad audiences. Candidates should possess experience in both writing and urban practice, though we expect the balance to vary.
We encourage submissions that demonstrate prior publication and significant engagement with the field.
In addition, we welcome storytellers of varying ages and experiences – writers, journalists, designers, planners, scholars, advocates, artists, curators, organizers, DIY newsletter writers, zine publishers, podcasters, photo essayists, and others – who are committed to producing critical work about the shape and experience of our city.
New City Critics is intended for people who do not see themselves or their experiences reflected in the fields of criticism, urbanism, and design today.
We aim to build a cohort of six individuals who will lean on each other’s curiosities and grow together. Beyond support in developing projects and skills, applicants should be searching for co-conspirators to broaden their understanding and imagination.
Fellows must live or work in the New York metropolitan area for the duration of the program to be considered.
What We Offer
Produce Original Work
Fellows will learn together, developing their skills and expanding their thinking and writing on design and cities. Fellows will have an opportunity to develop new work that advances a critical perspective on issues in the built environment, shape and refine it by working closely with experienced editors, and present it to an engaged audience.
Shape Discourse
We will provide opportunities to publish through Urban Omnibus across the fellowship year. Fellows will help shape and participate in public programs throughout the fellowship and engage with Urban Design Forum and Urban Omnibus’ audiences.
Leverage Our Networks
Fellows will be encouraged to connect with Urban Design Forum’s and Architectural League’s networks and audiences. They will have access to experts in design, planning, and development in New York City, as well as accomplished critics and cultural producers.
Participate in Forum and League Programs
Fellows will enjoy two years of complimentary Urban Design Forum and Architectural League membership and access to our lectures and discussions.
Important Dates
Application Opens – Thursday, May 8
Info Session – Wednesday, May 28, 12:00-1:00pm
Applications Due – Thursday, June 12, 11:59pm
Finalist Interviews – Week of July 28
Additional Details
In-Person Sessions
Sessions will be held at Urban Design Forum and Architectural League offices in downtown Manhattan, or offsite with a session speaker. Fellows will be given enough time in advance to schedule travel.
Individual Accommodations
We will work with all accepted Fellows to accommodate individual accessibility requirements, caretaking responsibilities, technology needs, unique health and safety concerns, or other circumstances.
Time Commitment
Fellows will meet in person on Monday evenings twice a month in New York City and are required to attend all meeting dates listed in the application portal. If there is an anticipated scheduling conflict, staff must be notified in advance. During the 9-month fellowship, there will be an estimated total of 45 hours dedicated to program sessions, along with an expectation that fellows will commit substantial time outside of sessions for regular office hours with program staff, reading, research, and writing.
Stipend
Fellows will be awarded a stipend of $7,500 for participation in the 9-month fellowship.