Confirmed to Speak: David Childs, Vin Cipolla, Steve Ross

Confirmed to Speak: Paul Beirne, Majora Carter, Tony Goldman, Jane Hanson

In international indices, the world’s largest and densest cities rank high on economic and environmental indicators but score poorly on a number of measures associated with quality of life. Yet as these cities continue to grow and welcome new people and ideas, they drive economic and social innovation globally.

• What are the challenges to livability particular to megacities like New York?
• What are the examples of improving livability that cities such as these are incubating?
• What are the specific indicators that describe a high quality of life and the benefits associated with life in the megacity? What can identify unique conditions in places that need improvement?
• What is New York City’s contribution to this critical international discourse?

Supported by The Rockefeller Foundation | Confirmed to Speak: Vin Cipolla, Edwin Torres, Kinshasha Holman Conwill, Mindy Fullilove, Suketu Mehta

MAS will release the results of the second annual MAS Survey on Livability in New York City supported by The Rockefeller Foundation, reporting the perceptions, concerns and experiences of the livability of New Yorkers across the five boroughs. City thought leaders will reflect on the results of the survey and offer analyses of the findings.

Confirmed to Speak: Lisa Staiano-Coico, Nick Cluley, Ashton Hawkins, Gary Zarr, Lloyd A. Williams

How can New York City best nurture the emergence of different kinds of community amenities that are hubs for people, groups, and uses? Libraries, schools, and other community hubs will be examined and discussed.

Confirmed to Speak: Sam Roberts, Tom Galante, Linda Johnson, Anthony Marx, Cheryl Effron, Randy Bourscheidt

Libraries, according to the New York Public Library, are “the memory of humankind, irreplaceable repositories of documents of human thought and action.” Local branch libraries especially are anchor institutions and centers for information-seekers. Today, libraries are transforming as they assume a role as places that offer the public Internet access. This change has happened almost seamlessly, spurring modernizations to many libraries. Knowing what we know about new directions in communications, can we anticipate how libraries will evolve further? And how will the changing role of the library benefit all New Yorkers in their communities?

Confirmed to Speak: Anthony E. Malkin

With 75 percent of New York City’s carbon emissions stemming from energy used in buildings, improving their energy efficiency is crucial, especially for the city’s large buildings. A case study of The Empire State Building, the world’s most famous skyscraper and a landmark in every sense, will focus on how the performance of the building was improved while its historic character was meticulously restored. How the work was financed and why this project serves as a national model of sustainability will also be discussed.

Confirmed to Speak: MaryAnne Gilmartin

MaryAnne Gilmartin, executive vice president of commercial and residential development for Forest City Ratner Enterprises, will share with us the story of how the tallest residential tower in the western hemisphere came to be. Designed by Frank Gehry, 8 Spruce Street is a singular addition to the iconic New York City skyline and tells a rich story of design and development.

Confirmed to Speak: Elizabeth H. Berger, Lynne Brown, Diane M. Coffey, Daniel Massey, Seth Pinsky, Aaron Shapiro

New York City has historically been one of the country’s leading job and wealth creators. Where are the new jobs being created now? What needs to happen so the city economy can create more opportunities that are available to all New Yorkers? What is the role of NYC in transforming the US economy into a more sustainable one, driven by technology and innovation? What are our prospects, and what are the implications for planning and development to continue to support a vibrant, dynamic and diverse economy?

Confirmed to Speak: Vishaan Chakrabarti, Chris Ward, Madelyn Wils

How can crumbling infrastructure be rebuilt and maintained? What do neighborhoods need, and how can better planning enable the city to meet those needs? What lessons can we draw from other cities? What are the innovative, sustainable ways to reform aging infrastructure—streets, bridges and public spaces?

Confirmed to Speak: Heather Grady, John Livingston, Ronay Menschel

How resilient is New York City? Can we absorb sudden shocks to our economy, to our natural environment, to our way of life? Efforts at the national and state levels to anticipate the potential impacts of climate change and sea-level rise on America’s coastal cities must include ways to harness both the social networks and community capacity of New York City to prepare as these changes occur. How is the urban design community in New York responding to these anticipated challenges?

Confirmed to Speak: Aaron Renn, Genie Birch, Peter Bishop, , Michael Donovan, Lynn Osmond, Brent Brown, Rahul K. Bhardwaj

What ideas and inspiration can New York City draw from the bold initiatives of other global cities to make our city more livable? Chicago leads the way in environmental sustainability; Toronto integrates immigrants at the fastest rate (and built more skyscrapers last year, exceeded only by Tokyo); Dallas is reinvigorating its downtown with new cultural amenities and London considers how to use the 2012 Olympic investments to enrich the local neighborhoods.

Presenters: David Childs, Vin Cipolla, Gordon Davis, Susan Freedman, Dan Garodnick, Kitty Hawks, Frances Resheske, Joe Versace

Each year, MAS recognizes outstanding individuals, groups, places and events that have made New York a more livable city. Beginning this year, our annual awards, now named the MAS Livable City Awards, will be celebrated at a special ceremony and reception at the conclusion of day one of the Summit. Categories will include MAS Trailblazer, for a person or organization that has had great impact on our city by paving the way for the improvement of a neighborhood, a borough or the city as a whole; MAS Placemaker, for a person who has addressed livability in New York through outstanding accomplishments, creative expression and/or entrepreneurial success; and Extraordinary Collaboration, for an innovative partnership comprised of participants or organizations who have, as a group, united to achieve extraordinary results in New York City.

MAS Livable City Award Winners:

• Livable City Award Winners: Gospel for Teens, ioby, Riverpark Farm, Storm King Art Center, Urban Samaritan
• W. Allison & Elizabeth Stubbs Davis Award Winner: Angela Davis

Confirmed to Speak: David Childs, Vin Cipolla

Confirmed to Speak: Genie Birch, Amanda Burden, Marc Kushner, Witold Rybczynski, David Rockwell, Charles Renfro

City planning requires the efforts of policymakers, architects, urban planners, developers, designers and others, all working in concert. Urban design happens in broad strokes and in modest interventions. What are today’s challenges and opportunities in creating a well-planned and well-designed city?

Supported by The William and Mary Greve Foundation | Confirmed to Speak: Vin Cipolla, Kitty Hawks, Yeohlee Teng

MAS will release the results of a comprehensive study on New York City’s Garment District. The report will lay out recommendations to support this vital economic and creative center.

Confirmed to Speak: Philip Howard, Mitchell Silver, Vicki Been, Donald Eliott, Michael Kwartler, Jerilyn Perrine

The zoning resolution, New York City’s most important land use policy document, turns 50 years old this year, is it time for an overhaul? If so, what should the goals and principles be for a 21st century document? How can zoning address some of New York City’s most pressing problems? Local and national experts will address these questions and bring us up to speed on similar reform efforts from across the country.

Supported by American Express | Confirmed to Speak:David Bragdon, Kaid Benfield, Jean Carroon, Fred Iseman, Andrew Kimball, Llewellyn Wells, Richard Brown, Fred Iseman, Alison Tocci

New York City is a national leader in developing and implementing sustainability and climate change policies. What role do the city’s older and historic buildings play in those plans, and in New York’s sustainable future? Speakers will explore the challenges and importance of retaining, improving and reusing the city’s older buildings and how doing so can generate jobs how doing so can generate jobs and improve the environment.

Confirmed to Speak: Janette Sadik-Khan

How is New York City’s leadership approaching the complex challenges facing our aging infrastructure?  What are the most pressing problems? What new initiatives are being planned to revitalize and restore our bridges, streets and highways?

Confirmed to Speak: Enid Beal, Rosanne Haggerty, George McCarthy, John Rhea, Mary Rowe

The New York City Housing Authority is one of the largest public housing agencies in the world, home to thousands of the city’s working-class people and occupying significant blocks of land in prime areas across the five boroughs. How can public housing benefit the surrounding neighborhoods and the city of which they are a part? What are the issues and opportunities in public housing communities? Who are the city builders we need to engage to make these areas more livable, vibrant, and economically diverse contributors to their neighborhoods? How can institutions like NYCHA develop partnerships and approaches to increase the potential of these places?

Confirmed to Speak: Norman Jacknis, Carl Skelton, Kent Swig

The Betaville Massively Participatory online platform, launched at last year’s MAS Summit, is now hard at work: Projects are in the works or underway in Brooklyn, Manhattan,Istanbul, Copenhagen, Gdansk, Léogâne (Haiti), and Toronto, with an international consortium of researchers, developers, and advocates. Betaville is designed to provide a common language and medium for collaborative participation, a “place” where citizens, governments, and businesses can find common ground and creatively build consensus about specific changes to the urban fabric. The vision for the next stage of Betaville development, the City Research Studio, will be introduced.

Confirmed to Speak: Laurie Beckelman, Jennifer McGregor, Mary Miss, George Trakas

What happens when fine artists collaborate with city builders to plan for the future of a neighborhood? What role can the art world take in exploring creative, integrated approaches to planning? Long Island City, one of New York’s waterfront neighborhoods poised for major changes in the next decade, is the focal point of an unprecedented collaboration between artists, planners, architects, and others to help shape the future landscape of that rapidly changing neighborhood. In this moderated conversation, artists who are at the helm of a unique collaboration between The Noguchi Museum, Socrates Sculpture Park, community leaders and planners will share their experiences engaging in place-based neighborhood renewal.