News

From large-scale initiatives to community-focused projects, Andrew Leung is dedicated to designing for climate resilience.

Please join us in giving our newest board members a warm welcome.

An evolving network of the city’s cultural nonprofits seeks to expand opportunities for shared resources and collective impact.

Three Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) in Brownsville, Sunnyside, and the Bronx Capitol District Release Public Realm Vision Plans to Transform Their Commercial Corridors.

Vision for a Better City: 25 Ideas for a Healthy and Safe New York is a platform for courageous leadership for New York’s next mayor. 

As Principal at Public Works’ urban planning practice, Melissa S. Lee has worked in cities across the country to center community health in urban planning.

I may never know this country, but I have loved knowing this city for the past fifteen years.

Our Local Center teams have been working hard to reclaim and activate public spaces across New York City with creative installations, festivals, markets and more.

At the New York City Council Subcommittee on Zoning & Franchises Public Hearing, Urban Design Forum urged the New York City Council to adopt City of Yes as a key step toward a more equitable and fair New York City.

We're pleased to announce AJ Pires has joined Jamie von Klemperer as Co-Chairs of Urban Design Forum. We thank outgoing President Margaret Newman for her service. We are also pleased to welcome Judy Kessler as Treasurer.

Urban Design Forum is thrilled to announce the 48 Fellows in the inaugural Global Exchange cohort: our new fellowship for mid-career executives who will survey the world to take a big swing at New York City’s housing crisis.

Board President Margaret Newman reflects on her tenure at the Forum.

Join our Local Center teams as they launch programming in their newly-designed public spaces.

Three Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) in Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx will launch new projects to transform public spaces in under-invested commercial corridors.

As Policy and Communications Director for Riders Alliance, Danny Pearlstein spends his days fighting for better transit for New Yorkers.

Please join us in giving our newest board members a warm welcome!

Meet our cohort of urban leaders exploring new ways to build climate positive neighborhoods.

We’re thrilled to launch the Forefront Residency, enabling alumni to deepen their work toward building a more equitable city. 

Local Center teams share lessons learned from community engagement and where they are headed next.

K.C. Alvey discusses the public will, capacity, and understanding for urban agriculture, highlighting the importance of urban agriculture on health and community, and its overall impact on the city.

Urban designer and planner Julia Day discusses street design and counteracting public aversion to change as designers seek to improve spaces.

Martha Snow reflects on a recent Learning Community session among Local Center partners.

Read published works and shared learnings from the inaugural cohort of our fellowship to empower new, diverse and fearless voices in urban criticism.

Generous support has enabled us to plan and launch four new annual programs in the past year alone.

Meet the 2023 Forefront Fellows who will explore urban environments where youth can thrive for Free to Grow.

Julie Chou, partner and co-founder of Purpose by Design Architects, on design as a democratic, justice-oriented process.

Five interdisciplinary design teams will support neighborhood organizations in realizing new public space projects that celebrate local cultures and histories.

Journalist Henry Grabar talks traffic jams and the road to publishing his new book on parking.

Dr. Earle Chambers talks to us about the impact of neighborhood-level design on health.

Five neighborhood organizations will lead new projects to celebrate local cultures and histories in public space.