FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, October 21, 2002
CONTACT:
Public Affairs Officer: (212) 720-3471 -- www.nyc.gov/planning
VISHAAN CHAKRABARTI
NAMED NEW CITY PLANNING MANHATTAN OFFICE DIRECTOR
Monday, October 21, 2002, New York City –Vishaan
Chakrabarti, AIA, has been named Director of City Planning's
Manhattan Office, effective October 28, 2002. The appointment
was announced by Amanda M. Burden, Director of the Department
of City Planning and Chair of the City Planning Commission.
Chakrabarti succeeds Richard Barth, who was recently
named Executive Director of the Department. Amanda M.
Burden, Director of the Department of City Planning
said, "I am pleased to announce that Vishaan Chakrabarti
will take on this critical role at City Planning. I
am confident that his extensive experience with complex
development and urban design projects in New York City
will prove to be a real asset to the Department and
to the City as we move towards achieving our land use
goals".
As Director of the Manhattan Office, Chakrabarti will
be a key member of the agency's executive staff, and
will be responsible for fulfilling the agency's mission
in Manhattan, directing urban design and land use policy,
guiding housing and economic development and fostering
the orderly growth of the borough's neighborhoods, business
districts and major institutions. He will also advise
the Chair and members of the City Planning Commission
on the planning and land use issues affecting the borough,
manage the staff of the Manhattan office and act as
the primary liaison to a wide range of stakeholders
including elected officials, community organizations,
and private sector entities on matters of land use,
zoning and economic development in the borough.
Chakrabarti holds a Master's degree in Architecture
from the University of California at Berkeley and a
Masters degree in City Planning from the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology. Previously, Chakrabarti had
been an Associate Partner for Skidmore, Owings, &
Merrill, LLP where since 1996, he has overseen numerous
projects including the new New York Stock Exchange,
and master plans for the World Trade Center site, Columbia
University, and Long Island City. He also has experience
at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey as
a Transportation Planner. Chakrabarti is a David Rockefeller
Fellow, is involved in numerous civic organizations,
and is a Registered Architect in the State of New York.
About City Planning
The Department of City Planning is responsible for the
City's physical and socioeconomic planning, including
land use and environmental review; preparation of plans
and policies; and provision of technical assistance
and planning information to government agencies, public
officials, and community boards.
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