Closer LOOK: Demolition

Hosted at the MAS office in the landmark LOOK building, the Closer LOOK series features talks with policy, preservation, and planning experts exploring the current—and future—concerns facing New York City’s built environment. We are pleased to announce details for the second program in our series.

In January 2019, a demolition permit was filed for the 52-story, 1.5-million-square-foot Union Carbide Building. According to PlaNYC, the city generates roughly seven million tons of construction and demolition debris a year, nearly twice the municipal solid waste output of London. New York City is also home to 23 (soon to be 24) of the world’s tallest intentionally demolished buildings. Join MAS as we take a closer look at demolition effects as well as alternative pathways for preservation and sustainability. MAS President Elizabeth Goldstein will moderate a conversation with Allison Arlotta, Research Specialist for Robert A.M. Stern Architects, Ana Baptista, Chair of the Environmental Policy and Sustainability Management Program as well as Assistant Professor of Professional Practice at The New School, and Kate Kitchener, Chief of Staff for the Bureau of Recycling and Sustainability at the NYC Department of Sanitation.

Stay tuned for details on other upcoming Closer LOOK events.

Online registration for Closer LOOK: Demolition is now closed. A limited number of tickets may be available at the door.

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Thursday, June 6
6:30 PM — 8:00 PM

MAS Office
488 Madison Avenue, 19th Floor
New York, NY 10022

Tickets:
Member: Free
Non-member: $10

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Speaker Details:

Elizabeth Goldstein, President, MAS (Moderator)
Elizabeth Goldstein joined MAS as its President in February 2017. Elizabeth has an extensive background in parks and historic preservation advocacy and management. Throughout her career, Elizabeth has worked to insure transparent public engagement in civic decisions of consequence to public space and the heritage of key places across the United States. Prior to returning to her NYC roots, Elizabeth was most recently the President of the California State Parks Foundation from 2004 to 2016. Prior to that she was the General Manager of the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department (1999 to 2004), and the Western Director of the National Trust for Historic Preservation (1994-1999). Her work in parks includes the New York City Regional Director of the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (1989-1994), the Director of Planning for the New York City Park Department (1986-1989) and the Chief of Staff of the Manhattan Borough Office of NYC Parks. Elizabeth graduated from Beloit College. Elizabeth is a past Co-Chair of the City Parks Alliance and board member of numerous non-profit boards.

Allison Arlotta, Research Specialist, Robert A.M. Stern Architects
Allison Arlotta is a research specialist at Robert A.M. Stern Architects and a graduate of Columbia University’s MS in historic preservation program. She wrote her award-winning thesis on the reciprocal relationship, and areas of potential collaboration, between historic preservation and waste management. She also serves on the board of the Building Material Reuse Association, a national non-profit that supports communities by developing material reuse capacity. In her research, she is interested in how heritage can contribute to larger social aims of sustainability, resilience, and equity.

Ana Isabel Baptista, Ph.D., Chair, Environmental Policy and Sustainability Management graduate program; Assistant Professor of Professional Practice at the Milano School of Policy, Management and Environment at The New School University in New York City; Associate Director of the Tishman Environment and Design Center at The New School
Ana is the Chair of the Environmental Policy and Sustainability Management graduate program and an Assistant Professor of Professional Practice at the Milano School of Policy, Management and Environment at The New School University in New York City. She also serves as the Associate Director of the Tishman Environment and Design Center at The New School. Prior to The New School, she served as the Energy and Environment Director for the Regional Plan Association and the Environment and Planning Director for the Ironbound Community Corporation in her hometown of Newark, NJ. Ana’s research and professional practice is focused on advancing environmental justice (EJ) through collaborative work with communities on issues ranging from climate change, air pollution, and waste systems. She recently published a book chapter on New York City’s residential organics collection program and an article on the dangers of co-incineration. Her current research portfolio at the Tishman Center includes studies on the failing incinerator industry, municipal planning measures for environmental justice, and environmental justice movement leadership development. Ana serves on the Board of Trustees for the Ironbound Community Corporation, the New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance (NJEJA), the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA), and the Victoria Foundation.

Kate Kitchener, Chief of Staff, Bureau of Recycling and Sustainability, NYC Department of Sanitation
Kate Kitchener began her work in waste prevention by implementing waste reduction strategies and testing alternative packaging options in the private sector. Seeing the success of these programs inspired her to realize similar policies on a larger scale, acquiring a Master’s Degree in Energy and Environmental Policy from the University of Delaware. In her current position as Chief of Staff at the New York City Department of Sanitation Bureau of Recycling and Sustainability, Kate is integral in moving the Bureau’s initiatives forward including programs to recycle organics, textiles, and electronics. She also has a strong focus on extended producer responsibility legislation and serves on the boards of both the Product Stewardship Institute and the New York State Product Stewardship Council.

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