MAS FOCUS 2015

The Municipal Art Society of New York

V

II

MAS Focus 2015

MAS Focus 2015 outlines our initiatives for the upcoming

year from these different perspectives:
PLANNING & DESIGN
POLICY\& INNOVATION
CIVIC ENGAGEMENT
These initiatives are designed to help secure a better
future for New York at various scalesfrom preserving
our historic buildings, to planning our neighborhoods,
to reforming citywide policies.
MAS Focus 2015 also includes profiles on specific
initiatives of interest, details on our signature awards
and events, and the MAS Watchlist, which identifies
noteworthy issues that we will be tracking throughout
the year.
Since 1893, The Municipal Art Society of New York
has been dedicated to safeguarding the citys past while
advancing the best ideas for tomorrow. Leveraging our
network of urban planners, architects, elected official,
activists, and developers, MAS has helped shape the
future of New York for over 120 years.

MAS Focus 2015

MAS FOCUS 2015

MAS shapes the physical environment of New York through innovative urban
planning and design that balances social, economic, and environmental priorities.

Photo: Giles Ashford

MAS Focus 2015

PENN 2023

Unlock the potential of the west side

with a new Madison Square Garden
and a new Penn Station (see page 4)
Provide policymakers with new designs, economic
analysis, and implementation plans to transform the
MSG/Penn site
Advocate for funding the second phase of Moynihan
Station, an immediate next step towards incrementally
improving the passenger experience at Penn Station
Develop a cultural plan that knits together the smallscale manufacturers and creative businesses located
around Penn Station
Link MSGs tax break to the expiration of its operating
permit to facilitate a long-term solution for the area

HOUSING CHOICE

Plan, design, and advocate for a

greater variety of housing options
Launch the Complete Neighborhoods Task Force
to spark collaboration between advocates and the
development industry, and facilitate long-term
housing solutions
Shape the rezonings associated with the Citys
affordable housing plan in neighborhoods such as
East New York, West Flushing and the Jerome
Avenue Corridor
Advocate for inclusionary zoning, tax reform, and rent
regulations that stimulate the development of affordable
housing options
Generate design solutions for public housing facilities
by bringing together architects, engineers, advocates,
and residents

EAST MIDTOWN

Preserve and enhance the future of

the district
Leverage development to secure transit improvements
for Grand Central in anticipation of increased ridership
Preserve historic assets through legal and financial
mechanisms such as the landmark designation process
and the transfer of development rights
Issue recommendations for the rezoning of a
70-block area as part of the East Midtown Steering
Committee Provide design and policy analysis to
shape the rezoning of the Vanderbilt Corridor and
One Vanderbilt skyscraper

DEVELOPMENT IN THE CITY

Continue to evaluate community

and neighborhood changes across
the city
Monitor and assess projects and developments that
could potentially impact the city over the long-term
Ensure development addresses resilience challenges
and the rising threat of climate change in waterfront
neighborhoods across the city
Mobilize policymakers to pursue infrastructure
projects that are vital to the regions success,
including new funding for mass transit via more
equitable tolling strategies

PUBLIC ART AND PLACEMAKING

Continue our legacy of protecting

public art throughout the city
(see page 5 )

Restore public sculptures, statues, and murals
through our Adopt-a-Monument and Adopt-a-Mural
programs
Continue partnerships with Parks Department, Central
Park Conservancy, private donors and citizen groups
Commemorate the 20-year anniversary of Alice
Aycocks East River Roundabout sculpture in Andrew H.
Green Park

Planning & Design

SPOTLIGHT ON MASS WORK

Penn 2023

Renderings of a new Madison Square Garden and public space improvements at the Morgan Post Office site. Image: KPF/Marvel

Penn 2023 is an MAS project dedicated to securing improvements at, above,

and around Penn Station. These changes have the potential to transform this
critical access point into a catalyst for economic development for the entire city.
At the station, Penn is dangerously over capacity. Designed
to accommodate 200,000 riders, today over 600,000
must travel through it everyday, making it the busiest transit
hub in the western hemisphere. In order to address rising
transit demand, we need to update, modernize, and expand
Penn Station.

More people travel daily through

Penn Station than JFK, LaGuardia,
and Newark combined.
Above the station, Madison Square Garden faces a legal
mandate to find a new location by 2023. This mandate
speaks to the reality that options for any meaningful
improvements to Penn are limited with the current arena
situated directly above the station.
Around the station, the delicate ecosystem of small-scale
manufacturers and creative enterprises borders the largest
private real estate development in U.S. history, Hudson Yards.

MAS Focus 2015

Without proper planning, we run the risk of losing the

neighborhoods unique economic and cultural benefits.
MAS seeks to address all three of these challenges in
parallel, building on our long-standing commitment in the
area. In 2013, MAS released designs for a new Penn
Station and successfully lobbied the City to limit MSGs
operating permit to ten years. In 2014, MAS released two
sets of designs for a new MSG: one that relocates the arena
to the nearby Morgan Post Office facility; and one that keeps
the arena in place, but significantly alters it to create new
transit space on site.
In 2015, MAS will provide policymakers with expanded
solutions for the MSG/Penn site based on the two previous
designs. The solutions will provide: additional details on the
area surrounding the site; engineering analysis based on
the two scenarios from our earlier designs; an economic
analysis that outlines the costs and benefits of an improved
transit hub and arena; and implementation plans to move the
City towards a comprehensive solution for the west side.

SPOTLIGHT ON MASS WORK

Adopt-A-Monument, Adopt-A-Mural
The Adopt-A-Monument and Mural
programs preserve the extraordinary
legacy of public art that MAS helped
initiate at the turn of the 20th century.
Over $3.5 million have been raised to support fifty-one
restorations in all five boroughs since the inception of these
programs in 1987 and 1991, respectively.
Through endowed maintenance funds, MAS maintains
these historic works of public art. A long-term plan has
been established which includes monitoring the condition
of each sculpture on an annual basis, and the more cyclical
treatment of each sculpture in the form of cleaning, waxing,
and other restoration techniques.
Our successful collaborative efforts with the New York City
Department of Parks & Recreation is evident in many works
in city parks throughout the boroughs, including Riverside
Park, Washington Square Park, Central Park, and the
Moshulu Parkway in the Bronx.

The Rocket Thrower is a vestige of

the 1964 New Yorks Worlds Fair
and is the second-largest bronze
sculpture in New York City, behind
only the Statue of Liberty.
MAS has recently worked to bring back to life The Rocket
Thrower in Flushing Meadow Corona Park in Queens. This
monument is a vestige of the 1964 Worlds Fair, and is the
second-largest bronze sculpture in New York City, behind
only the Statue of Liberty. Last summer, MAS led the
restoration of this great piece of public art in partnership
with the Parks Department and conservator SAT Inc.
Currently, MAS is working with its partners to restore
the sculpture by Alice Aycock, East River Roundabout,
in Andrew H. Green Park. MAS has been the custodian
of this piece since its installation in 1995, and will
commemorate its 20th anniversary in 2015.

Photo: Steve Tatti

Planning & Design

MAS FOCUS 2015

MAS shapes the physical environment of New York by initiating strategic

legal and policy reforms.

MAS offers tools to help demystify the city planning process, including interactive maps that indicate where and how much transferrable
development rights are available in all five boroughs. Image: MAS

MAS Focus 2015

INTENTIONAL SKYLINE

Follow-up on our Accidental

Skyline report addressing
skyscraper development

NEW PRESERVATION APPROACH

Develop solutions for greater

transparency, efficiency, and
accountability (see page 10 )

Pursue a package of rezonings and reforms that

consider the initial impact of new skyscrapers on the
citys skyline, streets, and neighborhoods

Seek to modernize landmark designation process to

address the agencys backlog of calendared items
through legal and policy reforms

Advocate for zoning and policy reforms to secure public

benefits for transit and public realm investments from
as-of-right developments

Increase transparency and efficiency at the LPC

through targeted advocacy

Support legislation that brings greater transparency to

the transfer of air rights to better inform the public of
major developments in their community

CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT

Secure unique contributions to city

life from our arts and cultural sector
Advocate for policymakers to establish a long-term,
citywide cultural policy to support the arts
Bring together a diverse array of stakeholders to
address challenges to the arts and culture sectors
through a series of Art Forums
Incubate the NYCommons, a civic start-up that provides
affordable live/work space for artists
Conduct an Arts and Affordability Survey to inform
the rezoning of neighborhoods subject to the Citys
affordable housing plan

Ensure historic preservation concerns are key

components of neighborhood rezonings, including those
at the South Street Seaport and East Midtown
Identify innovative tools to adapt, fund, and manage civic
assets through our Re-imagining the Civic Commons
initiative (see page 9)

DESIGN FIRST

Integrate design into policymaking to

impact the physical environment
Promote reforms to land use processes that facilitate
thoughtful design outcomes in the built environment
Bring greater transparency to sites and buildings
around the city to ensure design accountability
Identify and celebrate buildings and sites where
innovative design helps spark social, economic, and
cultural enterprise

Policy & Innovation

SPOTLIGHT ON MASS WORK

50th Anniversary of the NYC Landmarks Law

Led by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, the MAS Committee to Save Grand Central Station was instrumental in saving the beloved train station
from development, and securing a national precedent for historical preservation from the U.S. Supreme Court. From left to right: Architect Philip
Johnson, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, former Miss America Bess Myerson, and then-congressman Edward Koch. Photo: MAS Photo Archive

On April 19, 1965, Mayor Robert F. Wagner signed the New York City
Landmarks Law. This law came into being largely due to the advocacy efforts
of MAS and other preservationists, who stepped into action after the original
Penn Station and other historic structures were demolished, to the detriment
of New Yorks historic legacy.
To celebrate these achievements, MAS will host and
participate in a series of special events. Events include a
walking tour series, 50 for the 50th, as well as speaking
engagements throughout the year, culminating with the
MAS Summit for New York City.

1,338 individual landmarks

117 interior landmarks
111 historic districts
10 scenic landmarks
More than 31,000 total
properties protected
8

MAS Focus 2015

Since 1965, the law has been instrumental in preserving

and protecting our historical and cultural legacy. The impact
is undeniable.
The anniversary is more than a chance to look back at
history, it is also a moment in time for the city to renew its
global leadership on the issue of historic preservation.
To that end, MAS is working with key partners to provide
momentum and sustain the preservation movement for
the next 50 years by taking a fresh look at new strategies
that secure our historical sites and buildingsincluding
adaptive re-use, public-private partnerships, and art-andculture programing.

SPOTLIGHT ON MASS WORK

Re-Imagining the Civic Commons

In 2014, MAS partnered with the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
to bring together architects, artists, economists, urban planners, and public
officials from across the country to discuss the emerging possibilities for the
civic commons (e.g., parks, libraries, public markets, etc.).
The civic commons help anchor neighborhoods, and provide
essential programs and services. But to ensure their
continued vitality, we must re-imagine them to keep pace
with changes in technology, social patterns, demographics
and development.
For example, public libraries, which are facing budget
shortfalls to meet their capital needs, are pursuing innovative
public-private partnerships to help meet the needs of
their constituents; and pedestrian plazas throughout
the city, which serve as a new species of public space,
require updated legal regulations and funding models for
maintenance, operations, and programming.
In 2015, MAS will work with its partners in neighborhoods
across the city to identify the civic commons in local
communities, and develop strategies to generate social,
economic, and cultural benefits that secure their continued

operation and future success. In particular, our work will

encourage city leaders to shape the design and development
of the commons so that they contribute to the citys overall
vibrancy and dynamism.

Our work will encourage city

leaders to shape the design and
development of the commons so
that they contribute to the citys
overall vibrancy and dynamism.
Lastly, because so much of the commons concerns historic
structures that contribute to the beauty and appeal of a
neighborhood, we will incorporate this work with our historic
preservation efforts. Specifically, we will explore adaptive
reuse and restoration strategies to bring historic landmarks
back to life through new operations and programming.

Bryant Park in Manhattan is one example of how innovative design, programming and operations can result in a successful civic commons.
Photo: Brian Fountain

Policy & Innovation

MAS FOCUS 2015

MAS shapes the physical environment of New York through advocacy, trainings,
events, and public programs that encourage people to participate in the
development of their neighborhood and city.
COMMITTEE FOR URBAN
ENTREPRENEURSHIP (CUE)

Launch a new initiative that connects

entrepreneurs from across the city
Host CUE to CUE, a two-day conference that
connects entrepreneurs committed to economic diversity
in our cities
Expand the CUE network to capture innovators in various
sectors of the local economy
Identify challenges and develop solutions for entrepreneurs
that translate into urban planning and public policy

MAS CITIES AND

RESILIENCE NETWORKS

Connect urban innovators from

around the city, country, and world

COMMUNITY PLANNING

Empower New Yorkers to shape

their neighborhoods (see page 11)
Provide free trainings and workshops throughout the
city on a range of planning topics through our Livable
Neighborhoods Program
Use art and design to engage youth in communitybased planning and civic engagement as part of a new
initiative, Designing Change
Propose cost-effective improvements for Betsy Head
Park in Brownsville, Brooklyn leveraging our network
of professional designers and planners

MAS AWARDS AND EVENTS

Build and grow our network of

urbanists (see page 12)

Host convenings in each borough to identify resilience

needs and challenges, as well as develop a framework
for supporting community-based resilience citywide

Expand the popular Janes Walk event, which

celebrates Jane Jacobs legacy through our
Walking Conversations

Launch an online platform to expand and support our

global network of resilience innovators, enabling peerto-peer communication through webinars and other
online and offline mechanisms

Convene urban planners, architects, policy-makers,

academics, activists and artists through public
events such as MAS Summit for New York City
and Pitching the City

Continue to partner with the World Urban Campaign

to drive processes that both build a shared citybuilding agenda and inform the upcoming United
Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable
Urban Development

Honor innovators in art, architecture and design

with the MASterworks Awards, Brendan Gill Prize
and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Medal

WALKING TOURS

Walk through New Yorks past and

present, in order to shape its future
Integrate walking tours into our advocacy efforts to bring
to light urban challenges taking place throughout the city
Explore new themes for walking tours, such as midcentury modern design and architecture
Reach 16,500 people through 650 walking tours

10

MAS Focus 2015

SPOTLIGHT ON MASS WORK

Livable Neighborhoods Program

The Livable Neighborhoods Program offers intensive workshops on city planning, providing the community leaders of tomorrow with design,
planning, and advocacy skills. Photo: Alex Engel.

MAS empowers local communities by providing them with training and

assistance through our Livable Neighborhoods Program (LNP). This program
offers workshops on a range of planning topics including community organizing,
land use and zoning, park advocacy, and environmental resilience.
Since 2009, MAS has trained over 600 New Yorkers
through LNP. As part of this work, for the past three years
MAS has been working with the community in Brownsville,
Brooklyn, in collaboration with the Brownsville Partnership.
This work helped put the local community in a position to
drive the changes that they want to see in their neighborhood.
Program sessions focused on the specific conditions in

Graduates have leveraged what they

have learned through our trainings
to engage policymakers in discussions
around the future of public and
affordable housing initiatives.

Brownsville in relation to zoning, land use, community

organizing, and advocacy around safe streets and
vibrant parks.
The impact of this program is inspiring. Graduates have
leveraged what they have learned through our trainings
to engage policymakers in discussions around the future
of public and affordable housing initiatives. Graduates
have also taken the initiative to form a group focusing
on improvements to Betsy Head Park, a public park
in the neighborhood. Lastly, we are following through
with our other work in Brownsville, including developing
strategies to activate local retail corridors, such as the
one in Belmont Street.
Civic Engagement

11

SPOTLIGHT ON MASS WORK

MAS Awards & Events

In 2015, MAS will continue to bring together advocates from around the city
and around the world through our signature awards and events. These are critical
tools for exchanging best practices, sparking new ideas, and advancing the citybuilding agenda.
MAS Summit for New York City
Our signature event, this annual two-day program features
experts in city planning, design, government, and technology
for presentations, discussion, and debate about the future of
New York. Entering its sixth year, the MAS Summit attracts
over 1,000 participants and over 100 speakers from around
the city and around the world. Speakers from the 2014 MAS
Summit include U.S. Senator Charles Schumer, New York
City Deputy Mayor Alicia Glenn, Ford Foundation President
Darren Walker, as well as SHoP principal and MAS board
member Vishaan Chakrabarti.

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Medal

Our highest honor, this award is given to individuals and
organizations that have made an extraordinary impact on the
quality of New Yorks built environment. Previously known
as the Presidents Medal, it was renamed after Jacqueline
Kennedy Onassis soon after her passing in 1994 in
recognition of her invaluable contributions to New York.
Past honorees include Philip Johnson, Isamu Noguchi, U.S.
Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, Supreme Court Justice
William J. Brennan, Jr., I.M. Pei, and local PBS affiliate
Channel 13.

MASterworks Awards
The MASterworks Awards recognize recently completed
projects that best exemplify excellence in architecture and
urban design, and which make a significant contribution
to New Yorks built environment. The awards are broken
down into categories such as Best New Building, Best
Neighborhood Catalyst, and Best Historical Preservation.
Established in 1988, they have paid tribute to some of the
citys best known sites and buildings including the New York
Times Building, LeFrak Center at Prospect Park (pictured
here), Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center, the Weeksville
Heritage Center, and the High Line.

12

MAS Focus 2015

Janes Walk
This community-driven event celebrates the ideas and
legacy of famed urbanist Jane Jacobs. It is held every year
at the beginning of May, with a weekend-long, citywide series
of neighborhood walks and conversations. In 2014, MAS
coordinated over 100 walks and engaged over 1,000 people
across all five boroughs. Framed as walking conversations,
the event encourages people to explore local neighborhoods
and spark dialogue among all those who care about the
future of our city.

Brendan Gill Prize

This annual award and cash prize is given to the creator of a
specific artistic work that best captures the spirit and energy
of New York. A qualifying work could be a book, essay,
musical composition, play, painting, sculpture, architectural
design, film, or choreographic piece. The prize was
established in 1987 in honor of Brendan Gill, a champion of
the arts and architecture. Past awardees include architect
Hugh Hardy, MTA Arts for Transit, the Tribute in Light
memorial, musician Sufjan Stevens, artists Christo and
Jean-Claude, and architecture critic Michael Kimmelman.

Pitching the City: New Ideas for New York

This bi-annual event solicits innovative ideas that have the
potential to change the fabric of the urban environment. In
partnership with the New Museum and Architizer, Pitching
the City offers a platform where fresh ideas receive critical
feedback from a panel of experts. Past participants include
the founders of the LowLine, the Hudson River Powerhouse,
and the creative team at + Pool. Past experts include Nick
Denton from Gawker, Pat Kiernan from NY1, Roy Kim from
Extell, representatives from the Mayors Office, and designer
and MAS board member Yeohlee Teng.

Civic Engagement

13

The MAS Watchlist 2015 identifies citywide,

neighborhood, and local issues that will have the
most significant impact on our built environment
in the upcoming year. As the leading organization
dedicated to advancing intelligent urban planning
and design, MAS will call attention to these items
throughout the year through our planning, policy,
and civic engagement work. For more information,
visit MAS.org.

Citywide
Penn Station
The busiest transit hub in the
western hemisphere is overcapacity,
underfunded, and in need of
an upgrade. But long-overdue
improvements are beyond reach unless Madison Square
Gardenwhich shares the site with Penn Stationeither
relocates or provides more room for commuters. Penn
represents the challenge of finding resourcesand the will
to fix our crumbling, aging infrastructure.
Vanishing Local Retail
Keeping the streets affordable to
a mix of businesses benefits all
New Yorkers. The trend of beloved
institutions shutting their doorsthe
Subway Inn, Rizzoli Bookstore, Caf Edison, etc.speaks to
the market pressures and regulatory obstacles that threaten
smaller, independent businesses. If these businesses cannot
thrive in New York, then we risk undermining the economic
diversity that makes the city so successful and dynamic.
Rent Stabilized Apartments
The future of over one million
apartments in New York City will
be decided in Albany this year, as
legislators negotiate the renewal of
the rent stabilization law. This is not the only housing policy
that will be decided upstatethe renewal of the rent control
law and the 421-a tax abatement are also on the 2015
legislative agenda.

14

MAS Focus 2015

LPC Reform
The Landmarks Preservation
Commission faces a backlog of
almost 100 buildings and sites.
Many of these items have been with
LPC for decades, without any final determination on their
landmark status. It is now up to the preservation community
to address the backlog, and take steps to update and
modernize the landmarking process moving forward.
MTA Budget
The MTA needs $15 billion to fund
critical capital improvements. This
year, Albany must identify ways to pay
for these improvements and ensure
our transit system is equipped to accommodate the growing
number of commuters. All options are on the table, from tolls
on the East River bridges to multiple fare hikes to the agency
selling off its key real estate assets.

Neighborhoods
East Midtown
Following the decision by Mayor
de Blasio to move forward on
rezoning East Midtown, this year
will see the Vanderbilt Corridor
and One Vanderbilt project completing public review, and
a new proposal for the larger East Midtown district taking
shape. How these different projects evolve will have longlasting impacts on the one of the citys most important
business hubs.
Jerome Avenue
The area surrounding Cromwell
and Jerome Avenues in the Bronx
is the first of three neighborhoods
that the City will rezone as part
of Mayor de Blasios Housing New York Plan (the other
two neighborhoods being East New York in Brooklyn and
West Flushing in Queens). The plan calls for 200,000
affordable housing units within ten years, which will
require unprecedented collaboration between developers,
advocates, and the City.

South Street Seaport

The Howard Hughes Corporation is
proposing big changes for the South
Street Seaport, including relocating
the landmarked Tin Building, adding
a canopy to the new Pier 17 building, and introducing a
controversial 42-story waterfront tower. What is unclear is
how the developers proposals will address the post-Sandy
reality of rising sea levels, climate change, and the federal
funds already allocated for the resilience project known as
The Big U.

Brooklyn Public Library

BPL has partnered with Hudson
Companies to build a 20-story
condo building on the site of the
current branch library at Cadman
Plaza. This joint venture will provide BPL with a more
modern library on the ground floor, as well as an additional
$40 million to be put towards maintaining and restoring
other libraries in the borough. This innovative project is
part of broader trend of leveraging development to pay for
civic assets.

Flatiron
Similar to the cluster of supertowers
along 57th Street, several projects
will be changing the Flatirons
skyline. Developers are already
planning three 50-story towers just four blocks south of the
Empire State Building and directly north of the Madison
Square Historic District. Such rapid development underlines
the need for thoughtful planning, especially around our
landmarks and open spaces.

American Museum
of Natural History
The American Museum of Natural
History recently proposed an
expansion of their facilities to create
new spaces for exhibitions, labs and events. Similar to other
museum expansions in the city like the Frick, AMNH will
face extreme scrutiny, given the high profile of the museum
and the fact that the expansion would result in some loss of
park space.

Locations
The Archdiocese of New York
Last year, the Archdiocese of
New York announced that it would
consolidate its network of 376
parishes in response to rising
operating costs and shrinking congregations. This is
the latest example of a trend among houses of worship
looking to sell off coveted land and historic buildings to
make ends meet, causing waves in development and
preservation circles.
Hudson River Park: Pier 55
The Diller von Furstenberg
Family Foundation announced a
$100 million gift to Hudson River
Park Trust to build Pier55a
new public park and performance space on Manhattans
lower west sideas well as a commitment to cover the new
parks maintenance, programming, and operations costs for
the next 20 years. This project is one example of how park
administrators are creating new open space through publicprivate partnerships.

Bronx General Post Office

Young Woo & Associates is seeking
to redevelop the Bronx General Post
Office at the Grand Concourse.
The developer has already submitted
plans to introduce new office space, retail, restaurants,
a rooftop terrace, while preserving the WPA-era murals in
the building and a US Post Office presence. This creative
re-use, under design by Studio V, could serve as a test case
for other underutilized post offices around the city.
Times Square
This fall, the City will complete its
Snohetta-designed renovations of
the Times Square pedestrian plaza.
This as policymakers grapple with
the issue of how best to govern these new public spaces.
Last year, the City Council proposed a bill to license the
costumed characters in Times Square as a way to prevent
bad behavior from the occasional Elmo, Batman, or Cookie
Monster. While that bill seems to be on hold for the moment,
the pedestrian plaza conversation continues.

MAS Watchlist 2015

15

Front and Back Cover/Inside Front Cover Photo Credit

Photo: Giles Ashford
MAS Awards & Events Photo Credits
MAS Summit. Photo: Syd London
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Medal. Photo: MAS
MASterworks. Photo: Michael Moran
Janes Walk. Photo: Vladimir Weinstein
Brandon Gill Prize. Image: Christo and Jeanne-Claude
Pitching the City. Photo: MAS
MAS Watchlist 2015 Photo Credits
Penn Station. Photo: Syd London
Vanishing Local Retail. Photo: James and Karla Murray, www.jamesandkarlamurray.com
Rent Stabilized Apartments. Photo: echiner1, Flickr.com

16

MAS Focus 2015

LPC Reform. Photo: Jon Mannion, Flickr.com

MTA Budget. Photo: Benjamin Norman, The New York Times
East Midtown. Image: KPF
Jerome Avenue. Photo: Richard Harbus, New York Daily News
South Street Seaport. Photo: Sean Pavone Photo, Shutterstock.com
Flatiron. Image: FR-EE Architects.
The Archdiocese of New York. Photo: Gabriella Bass, New York Post
Hudson River Park Trust. Image: Pier55, Inc., Heatherwick Studio
Brooklyn Public Library. Image: Marvel
American Museum of Natural History. Photo: Smart Destinations, Flickr.com
Bronx Post Office. Photo: Demetrius Freeman, The New York Times
Times Square. Photo: Eduardo Munoz, Reuters

MAS BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Vin Cipolla, President
Eugenie L. Birch, Chair
Frederick Iseman, Vice Chair
James M. Clark, Jr., Treasurer
Frances A. Resheske, Secretary
Earl D. Weiner, General Counsel
Enid L. Beal
Paul R. Beirne
Elizabeth Belfer
Serena Boardman
Gabriel Calatrava
Lisa Smith Cashin
Vishaan Chakrabarti
Kathryn C. Chenault
Carol Coletta
Michael P. Donovan
Kitty Hawks
Daniel Hernandez
Manuela V. Hoelterhoff
Michael B. Hoffman
Sophia Koven
David W. Levinson
Christy MacLear
Chris McCartin
Joseph A. McMillan, Jr.
Gregory Morey
Richard Olcott
Julio Peterson
Carlos Pujol
David F. Solomon
Kent M. Swig
Yeohlee Teng
Alison Tocci
Thomas Vecchione
Thomas L. Woltz
William H. Wright II
Gary J. Zarr

DIRECTORS EMERITI
Kent Barwick
David M. Childs
Joan K. Davidson
Susan K. Freedman
Hugh Hardy
Philip K. Howard
John E. Merow
Frederic S. Papert
Charles A. Platt
Janet C. Ross
Whitney North Seymour, Jr.
Jerry I. Speyer
Stephen C. Swid
Helen S. Tucker
STAFF
Margaret Newman, Executive Director
Andr Allaire
Stacey Anderson
Meaghan Baron
Aisha Brown
Alison Brown
Erin Butler
Stacey Calcagni
Al Castricone
Phyllis Samitz Cohen
Lucas Cometto
Joanna Crispe
Elizabeth Dederick
Alexander Engel
Mike Ernst
Alana Farkas
Aileen Gorsuch
Geir Jaegersen
Robert Libbey
Maia Mordana
Sami Naim
Brenda Parkerson
Gloria Parris
Mary Rowe
Michael Ryan
Kate Slevin
Karyn Williams

III

IV

MAS Focus 2015

Municipal Art Society of New York 488 Madison Avenue Suite 1900, New York, NY 10022