IN-PERSON Barcelona Livable Cities. Section B
Abstract
New York City, like many global cities, is grappling with a persistent affordable housing shortage that is reaching unprecedented extremes, evident by the lowest vacancy and highest homelessness rates in decades. The City’s primary policy solution focuses on increased supply, treating housing as a commodity and prioritizing the quantity and size of new units. The current mayor’s magnum opus to mitigate the crisis is to deregulate housing to allow for more private development. While increasing supply is part of the solution, housing must not be approached in isolation. Housing is not just physical shelter but gateway to a neighborhood’s ecosystem of assets that determine the economic opportunities and life experiences of its residents. To foster livable cities and address the housing crisis, we must not only create housing but address and invest in the broader ecosystem. Drawing on the work of the Pratt Institute’s Graduate Center for Planning and the Environment, the Pratt Center for Community Development, and recent research from Pratt Institute graduates, this submission explores the market-based and piecemeal housing strategy in New York City. Through examining the City’s Mandatory Inclusionary Housing policy and approach to neighborhood planning, it highlights the need for comprehensive and community-centered planning solutions. A case study will demonstrate the potential of modular housing for short-term disaster relief and long-term social housing. Finally, proposed solutions will explore alternative economic models that promote wealth redistribution and prioritize community-developed and community-owned housing options, aiming to create a livable city for marginalized communities.
City planner with over 50 years of experience providing architectural, planning, community economic development and sustainable development assistance to community-based groups in low- and moderate-income neighborhoods. In 1964, Ron Shiffman co-founded the Pratt Institute Center for Community and Environmental Development [PICCED], which is today the oldest continuously operated university-based community design and development center in the United States.
Juan Camilo Osorio: My work emphasizes the tension between cities, inequality, and environmental conflict. I focus on the political economy of climate adaptation planning and disaster recovery, studying urban conflicts where social and environmental inequality exacerbate each other. In particular, I study the decentralization of power, institutions and planning processes — and its impacts on social, economic and environmental transformation to build equity and justice;
Tal Litwin is the Planning and Policy Analyst at the Brooklyn Borough President’s Office. An urban planner specializing in housing and economic development, Tal’s work and research focus on housing policy, community wealth building, and innovative tools to address and redress the impacts of discriminatory policies;
Sage Dumont is an architect and recent graduate from the Pratt Institute’s Graduate Center for Planning and Environment. Her recent research and professional work supports community-based planning in low- and moderate-income New York City neighborhoods with a focus on equitable housing and neighborhood development;
Danielle Baez is the Program Manager of Climate Initiatives, focused on the implementation of the EnergyFit program. She is dedicated to ensuring that New Yorkers have access to greener, healthier homes through her work on community-informed design, climate change adaptation, and equity research. Whether diving into research and analysis or out in the field, Danielle is committed to working with communities in solidarity and mutuality.
11:30 am - 1:00 pm
Thursday 17th July, 2025