An informal discussion series—by Fellows, for Fellows.
With Office Hours, Forum Fellows host a happy hour at our Tribeca office to engage our community on an issue impacting the city. Come to learn about a colleague’s work, and stay for the casual conversation and connection.
Upcoming ↓
Office Hours with Rafael Berges and Astrid Mayak
September 30, 2024
5:30-7:30pm
Join us to preview the Climate Resilience Design Toolkit—an interactive card game designed to empower urban planners to build resilient cities.
RSVP ►
Previous ↓
Office Hours with Evan Shieh
July 22, 2024
5:30-7:30pm
Evan Shieh, architect, educator and director of Emergent Studio, will discuss the future of mobility, driverless vehicles and speculative urban futures.
RSVP ►
Office Hours with Melisa Tekin
March 25, 2024
5:30-7:30pm
Melisa Tekin, Creative Director and Lead Designer at Neighbors Studio, will discuss her research on Privately Owned Public Spaces in New York City and a mobile toolkit she designed to activate them.
Office Hours with Daphne Lundi
December 11, 2023
5:30-7:00pm
Daphne Lundi, a Public Scholar at the Moynihan Center at City College will discuss her research exploring the “science fiction of city planning,” on the world-building practices of sci-fi and the lessons they offer urbanists in civic imagination and co-creating more expansive futures in cities.
Office Hours with Ben Ratner and V Hoy
November 13, 2023
5:30-7:00pm
Power is written into every aspect of the built environment, yet the ideology behind design is often invisible. Ben Ratner and V Hoy will lead a discussion on why being an urbanist requires a critical eye, muscle, stomach and spine.
Office Hours with Tiasia O’Brien
October 23, 2023
5:30-7:00pm
Public engagement is a black box of ideas, frameworks and methods. Tiasia O’Brien, founder of co:census, will discuss the future of equitable engagement, tackling challenges with cultural competency and responsive design.
Office Hours with Ryan Swanson
September 11, 2023
5:30-7:00pm
“Playable Cities” intertwine play with existing infrastructure, creating inclusive, stimulating outlets for connection. Ryan Swanson of The Urban Conga spoke about turning overlooked spaces into ‘PLAY’ces: from bus stops to alleyways, and everyday areas in between.
Host an Office Hours ↓
Forum Fellows are invited to host an Office Hours. Reach out with an idea – we’ll help take it from there.
These events can be used to solicit feedback on upcoming projects, support brainstorming on a policy challenge, or just connect with Fellows from peer industries. And if you’re interested in taking our fellows “out of office” on walking tours or site visits, we welcome that too. Overall, we’re hoping to help foster connection and support in your work.
If you are interested, reach out to Miranda Bellizia, at miranda@urbandesignforum.org.
Image Credits:
1. Rotating images by Samuel Lahoz
2. Christine Iasonidis
3. Sam Lahoz
4. Courtesy of Ben Ratner and V Hoy
5. Courtesy of Tiasia O’Brien
6. Courtesy of The Urban Conga