Perspective USA Returns to New York to Explore Architecture as Social Infrastructure, Place-Making, and the Hybridization of Spaces

On Tuesday, October 21, New York City will host the 11th edition of the Perspective USA Forum, a landmark event for architects, urban planners, developers, and built environment professionals interested in reimagining cities through design, inclusion, and innovation. Organized by THE PLAN as part of the Archtober festival, the Forum will take place at Convene – 101 Greenwich Street and will offer a full day of discussions, meetings, and networking opportunities, with AIA Continuing Education credits available.

The day will open at 8:30 AM local time with greetings by Andrea Steele, Vice President for Design Excellence of AIA New York City Chapter, followed by the Keynote Speech Out of Place: Architecture Betwixt and Between” by architect Marlon Blackwell, Partner of Marlon Blackwell Architects, Lead Design firm of the Porch Pavilion structure for the U.S. Pavilion at the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale. 

Thematic Panel Discussions: Architecture as Social Commitment

At the heart of the Perspective USA Forum will be a series of thematic panel discussions, transforming the event into a true think-tank. These dynamic discussions will engage architects, planners, developers, and thinkers in exploring the role of architecture in addressing contemporary challenges, positioning it as a driver of social and cultural change. Topics will include participatory design as a political tool, architecture as social infrastructure, and place-making as a catalyst for collective identity.

Additional reflections will center on urban density, vertical communities, inclusive design practices, and the hybridization of space - between public and private, work and life. The concept of beauty will also be highlighted as a fundamental civic value, not a luxury.

The Forum also offers a valuable networking platform through One-to-One Business Meetings and private Workshops, encouraging dialogue between established professionals and emerging talent. Activities will run from 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM, concluding with a farewell cocktail reception.

Registration is free for architecture, engineering, and real estate firms upon sign-up, and participants may earn AIA CES Learning Units.

For more information: perspectiveusa@theplan.it

Check out the full program below and register

Program

8.30 – 9.30 AM
Greetings by Andrea Steele, Vice President for Design Excellence, AIA New York City Chapter
Opening Keynote Speech: Out of Place: Architecture Betwixt and Between,
by Marlon Blackwell, Partner of Marlon Blackwell Architects, Lead Design firm of the PORCH Pavilion structure for the U.S. Pavilion at the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale

Welcome and moderation by Nicola Leonardi, Co-founder & Managing Editor, THE PLAN

Q&A Session

9.30 - 10.50 AM
Panel discussion: Who Builds for Whom? Participatory Design & Architecture as Social Infrastructure
Panelists: Dattner Architects, FxCollaborative, Mino Caggiula Architects, Shape Equity and Partners, Snøhetta, TYlin Group
Moderation by Andrea Steele Architecture

Coffee Break

11.20 AM – 1 PM
Panel discussion: The New Vernacular: Identity and Place-Making in NYC’s Vertical Communities
Panelists: Bizzi & Partners, COOKFOX architects, Loci Architecture, Morris Adjmi Architects, ODA, Rafael Viñoly Architects
Moderation by Stephen Moser Architects

Networking lunch (upon invitation-only)

2.50 – 4.00 PM
Panel Discussion: From Skyline to Street Life: Designing for Inclusion, Striving for Livability and Beauty
Panelists: Archi-Tectonics, Meyer Davis, MOS Architects, Steven Holl Architects, Weiss/Manfredi
Moderation by Pino Pavese Architecture Office

4.10 – 5.20 PM
Panel Discussion: Hybrid Is Here to Stay: Society Evolves, the Market Also
Panelists: Brent Buck Architects, HWKN, Kostow Greenwood Architecture, KPMB Architecture, PBDW, Stonehill Taylor
Moderation by SLADE Architecture

Farewell Cocktail

Register - in-person event