The APA in NYC

Like conferences of the American Institute of Architects and other organizations focused on the built environment, NPC17 was made up of sessions, discussions, workshops, tours, an Expo floor, projects, and other events. Since we managed to attend only one of the days (Monday), we did not get the full experience (no tours or workshops, unfortunately), but we still grasped some of what made the NPC17 unique. 

Technology had a strong presence throughout NPC17, from the numerous tech-related booths at the Expo to the clear uses of technology in the planning projects on display. FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency), for instance, had a booth set up with "Immersed: A VR experience about flood and resilience," while Sidewalk Labs, "an Alphabet company that imagines, designs, tests, and builds urban innovations to help cities meet their biggest challenges," hosted presentations on the Expo floor. There we learned more about LinkNYC, the Labs' winning proposal to replace New York City's outdated public phones with wifi hotspots with built-in calling, mobile charging, maps, and "real-time dynamic display networks." Hundreds of them are currently in use with more being installed and activated every week.

In a presentation that included former APA President Mitchell Silver, "Community Parks Initiative: Improving Park Equity," the now NYC Parks Commissioner explained how technology – Big Data – determined the sites for park improvements in his $285 million CPI, which started in 2014. The program balances quantitative data (budgets for individual parks, proximity to local parks for residents) with qualitative measures (firsthand accounts, community meetings) to determine the course of action for underserved parks. The first ribbon cutting for CPI will take place in Brooklyn later this year.

APA's immersion into the New York City context played out in the many tours (some of them focused on waterfront sites) but also the many well-attended sessions and discussions. In addition to the CPI presentation, we attended "Planning the Barclays Center," a presentation by the developer, architect, and civil and structural engineers of the popular arena that anchors the huge mixed-use Atlantic Yards (now Pacific Park) project in Brooklyn. Although focused on the arena that is home to the Brooklyn Nets, the talk touched upon the larger, contested development story and the way its planning had to change as financial forces exerted pressures on the developer. It's a story worthy of more than a one-hour presentation, but also one that will play out for a long time to come as Pacific Park becomes more than just an arena (the first of its many residential towers is nearing completion).

Across NPC17's four days, more than 6,300 people attended (nearly 1,000 of them students) from 31 countries, attending 69 workshops, 11 tours, and more than 350 sessions and discussions. Next year's APA National Planning Conference will be held in New Orleans.