The Restorative City: Designing New York City with Health at the Center

The Restorative City is a one-day convening that will bring together urban planners, city officials, neighborhood advocates, and public health experts to center health equity in the design and planning of New York City. This special event will elevate important conversations about community health, environmental justice, social resilience, and design excellence as core drivers of how New Yorkers, especially those most vulnerable, can thrive. It is an open, inclusive call to action for New York City's next chapter.

Join us in-person at the Ford Foundation Center for Social Justice, or virtually, for a restorative day of panel discussions, performances, and workshops geared towards building community wellness through public space and the built environment. View the full agenda below and look forward to sessions on environmental justice, impact of public art access on health, new visions for the city, civic participation, and more, with featured storytelling testimonies from designers who are working to bridge the divide between design and public health.

Guest speakers include:

• Dr. Michelle Morse, Chief Medical Officer and Deputy Commissioner at the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene

• Betsy MacLean, Chief Engagement Officer at the NYC Mayor's Office

• Jen Hughes, Senior Advisor to the Chair on Partnerships, Expansion, & Innovation at the National Endowment of the Arts

• John Douglas, Director of Land Use at the Brooklyn Borough President's Office

• Matthew Clarke, Executive Director of the Design Trust for Public Space

• Theo Oshiro, Co-Executive Director of Make the Road New York

• Yin Kong, Co-founder and Director of Think!Chinatown

• Alexandra Shoneyin, Founder of Forest Avenue COMEunity Fridge

• Eran Chen, AIA, Founding Principal and Executive Director of ODA

• Kim Kessler, Assistant Commissioner NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene

• Kizzy Charles-Guzmán, Executive Director of the Mayor's Office of Climate and Environmental Justice

• Dara Byrne, PhD, Dean of William E. Macaulay Honors College

• Special guest performances by local artists

• and more to be announced!

Lunch and refreshments will be provided for in-person attendees. The event at the Ford Foundation will be followed by a closing garden reception. Please include any dietary restrictions or special needs in our accessibility intake available with ticket purchase. If this event is cost-prohibitive, reach out to us for support options for students and vulnerable community members.

The Restorative City is sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts, the Mellon Foundation, W Architecture and Landscape Architecture LLP, Curtis Ginsberg Architects LLP, ODA, HKS, and HOK. Click here to learn more about sponsorship opportunities.

ADD THE RESTORATIVE CITY TO YOUR CALENDAR

We want to hear from New Yorkers! Tell us: what makes you feel well?

Questions? Interested in being an event volunteer? Contact nroach@designtrust.org.