New York City Appoints Its First Ever Chief Public Realm Officer

“The Municipal Art Society congratulates Ya-Ting Liu on being appointed the first chief public realm officer in New York City history. We believe this new role will help the city achieve better planned, coordinated, and maintained public spaces for all New Yorkers to enjoy. Ya-Ting is supremely qualified to deliver on that vision, and we applaud Mayor Adams for making a strong selection to lead the city forward” said Elizabeth Goldstein, President of the Municipal Art Society of New York.

MAS and New Yorkers for Parks have advocated for such a position in two reports A Public Champion for the Public Realm in 2020 and A Blueprint for Public Realm Leadership in 2022. The appointment is the result of extensive advocacy by the Alliance for Public Space Leadership, a coalition of public space organizations, businesses, conservancies, volunteers, and others that was created in 2022 to ensure equitable public realm solutions and effective management of New York City’s public spaces. The Alliance is led by founding members, MAS, Open Plans, AIA-New York and New Yorkers for Parks.