Master of Urban Design

Anthony Cosentino Associate Architect, Architecture / Engineering Division, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, MIP 2014

“As an architecture student I always had an interest in the bigger picture of design. The MIP program gave me the opportunity to study the urban issues that are more important than ever.  Both the studios and elective classes provided unique and informative experiences that I value and use almost every day in my career. 

The real world scenarios that the MIP program provides gave me a solid foundation for my career at the Port Authority of NY & NJ, working on one of the region’s most important transportation projects; the master planning effort for a new Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan.  I am also part of a team that is designing new shared use paths (pedestrian and bicycle) for the George Washington Bridge.”

Joseph Cosenza Vice President of Construction, Ivy Realty, MIP 2011

“I entered the MIP program after a career in Real Estate Development and Construction.

As a seasoned professional, I found that the program work helped me to broaden my view of the factors which affect a real estate investment. The studios were an ideal laboratory in which to apply these factors to a real-life design problem at an urban scale.

In my professional work, the ability to analyze a particular building in an urban planning context has proven extremely valuable. Being able to recognize, research, and apply data ranging from demographic, economic, historic, logistic, and other contextual data is something that I learned in the program, and I use daily in my work.”

Steven Folkes Community Planner and Liaison, AvalonBay Communities, MIP 2011

“The ability to think critically and create a strong argument are invaluable skills I gained in the program and have been key to my professional success. 

The faculty were excellent motivators. They, along with invited industry-related experts who participated in our courses, challenged our work for the better through constructive critiques throughout the year. 

I can undoubtedly say, the skills I acquired from the MIP program have allowed me to adapt quickly and excel professionally.” 

Milena Popow Architect I, HNTB Corporation, NYC Office, MIP

“I am currently working as an architect for a national infrastructure engineering firm in New York City. Our focus is public transportation architecture. The projects that I have worked on in the past three years have been predominantly transit stations (high speed, commuter, subway, and light rail). I use the techniques, knowledge, and experience gained during my studies on a daily basis because these large infrastructure projects require planning beyond the projects’ boundaries. When designing ideal station configurations I take into consideration the community and environmental impacts, intermodal connections, sustainability, resiliency, and user experience. In other words I regularly implement a holistic approach towards planning and design - one of my biggest takeaways from the MIP program.”

Newark, Which Way Forward? Urban Frameworks and Future Scenarios for Newark’s Downtown, Fall 2019

Newark Neighborhood Networks: Urban Framework Plan and Priority Projects for Newark’s Neighborhoods, Spring 2019

Moving Mumbai: Urban Frameworks for Mumbai’s Eastern Waterfront, MIP 601/602, Fall 2018

The Lycabettus Studio: Open Space Frameworks and Priority Projects for Athen's Greatest Hill, MIP 601/602, Spring 2018
The Spring 2018 Master of Infrastructure Planning (MIP) studio worked in collaboration with the City of Athens, 100 Resilient Cities, and Rebuild by Design to develop open space frameworks and priority pilot projects for Athen’s Lycabettus Hill that reinforce the City’s broader resiliency agenda. A key objective of the studio was to identify and synthesize the interests of key stakeholders into actionable design proposals that would help inform the Lycabettus master plan and further democratize the planning process. 

Refugee Resettlement in New Jersey, MIP 601/602, Fall 2017
Partnering with International Rescue Committee, Church World Service, and Interfaith-RISE, the Fall 2017 MIP studio developed strategies for refugee resettlement and community development in New Jersey. Following a historical analysis of refugee resettlement in the United States, and in-depth interviews with various stakeholders, the studio focused on three different sites for resettlement in New Jersey: Highland Park, Jersey City, and Newark. 

Olympicopolis: A New Cultural and Education Quarter for London’s Olympic Park
Spring 2016:
This studio focused on creating urban design plans for the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. The plans included, but were not limited to, cultural and educational institutions, housing, offices, transportation, and open space. A key objective of the studio was to maximize the value of the plan for the adjacent, economically-deprived communities.

Network City Campus: A District Plan for University Heights
Fall 2015:
This studio focused on Newark’s University Heights district. Students developed design strategies that engaged a range of scales and times, from small-scale, short-term improvements that enhance the everyday use of the campus, to large-scale, long-term strategies that address structural deficiencies and envision new futures. Like the Fall 2014 and 2013 studios, the Fall 2015 studio was run as a competition studio. The competition was sponsored by NJIT’s office of Real Estate Development and Capital Operations, which generously allocated $50,000 to implement one winning project to improve the NJIT campus. A winning project was selected for implementation by a jury of experts.

Watershed Moment: A Plan for Nassau County’s Mill River Watershed
Spring 2015:
Continuing to run parallel with the Rebuild by Design process, the Spring 2015 studio’s site and focus was the Mill River watershed, which stretches from the open bay to the uplands in New York’s suburban Nassau County. Because of its vulnerability to sea level rise and storm surge, its ecological degradation, and its highly segregated social landscape, this watershed represents an ideal territory to investigate issues of sustainable urban development. The studio was unique in that students worked not in the abstract but as part of an ongoing process of implementing a groundbreaking project.

Delta Cities: Building Resiliency in Rapidly Urbanizing Territories
Fall 2014:
Shenzhen, China, located in the Pearl River Delta, presents some of the most pressing challenges faced by delta cities and their regions. Strategically sited at the hinge between Hong Kong and mainland China, Shenzhen has become a global center of manufacturing and exportation. China’s economic policies and infrastructure investments have transformed Shenzhen from a sleepy fishing village of 30,000 to a city of approximately 15 million in just over 30 years. The breathtaking speed of Shenzhen’s development has come with all of the negative consequences of rapid urbanization. Shenzhen’s livability, particularly for the migrant workers who have fueled the new economy, is compromised. Housing shortages, traffic, major air and water pollution, flash floods, social segregation, and a host of other problems threaten the quality of life in the city. These extraordinary urban conditions served as the setting for the Fall 2014 MIP Studio. 

2014 marked the inauguration of the Global Schindler Award (GSA), which expanded the Schindler Award Competition from a European to an international context. For the first time, American universities were eligible to participate, and NJIT’s Master of Infrastructure Planning program was invited to compete. Setting its own parameters and agenda, the Fall 2014 MIP Studio responded to the GSA Competition, while developing a competition submission within the context of the MIP program’s broader curriculum and pedagogy. The studio ultimately was selected as one of the competition’s 12 finalists and awarded first honorable mentions (4th place) out of a field of over 250 international submissions.

Rebuild by Design: Living with the Bay
Spring 2014:
The subject of this studio was the rebuilding of New York’s Long Island in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. The communities along southern Nassau County’s back bay were among the hardest hit in the Sandy-affected region. The devastation was widespread, with thousands of homes damaged or destroyed, critical infrastructure inundated and disabled, and dunes and marshes washed away. At the time the studio was conducted, many cities and towns were still in the process of rebuilding. 

This studio directly participated in the ongoing rebuilding efforts as part of the federally-funded Rebuild by Design initiative. Working closely with community representatives and a consortium of professional experts, studio members conducted a three-phase investigation that included (1) innovative visualizations of local conditions (2) visionary regional strategies and (3) inventive architectural and planning proposals that address the challenges of sea-level rise and climate change. The studio’s goal was to develop design proposals that perform at multiple scales, both meeting local needs and contributing to a larger vision of regional resiliency. 

Rebuild by Design: New Jersey
Fall 2013:
The subject of this studio was the rebuilding of New Jersey in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. Working in seven different coastal areas, we developed bold visionary regional strategies, innovative mapping and modeling techniques, and inventive architectural proposals that address the challenges of sea-level rise and climate change. 

Better Boroughs: Resilient Regions
Spring 2013:
This studio responded directly to the challenges faced by our region after super-storm Hurricane Sandy. Working “on the ground” with representatives of the Regional Catastrophic Planning Team (NY-NJ-CT-PA), the Department of Homeland Security, Architecture for Humanity, FEMA, and local community members, the studio developed designs that purposefully negotiate between the urgent need for visionary, large-scale planning and demands to restore what was there. As part of this course, a group of experts were brought to the university to lecture about their work.