New City Critics: New Conversations: Writing the Future

On October 30th, join us to celebrate the inaugural New City Critics cohort in a conversation on the future of city criticism.

For the last eighteen months, six New City Critics fellows have been bringing their fresh perspectives to the way we understand, design, and develop our cities through workshops, discussions, and potent critical projects. Fellows have published new writing in Urban Omnibus that highlights the role of community banks in building and sustaining New York City neighborhoods, speaks with Black Haitian urbanists about navigating multiple identities and locating an authentic creative practice, and explores the voids storms and plans have left behind in the Rockaways. As the fellowship sunsets, they continue to develop new work on finance, climate, and finding a home in the contemporary city.

New City Critics Fellows Oscar Perry Abello, Alicia Ajayi, Calil Arguedas-Russell, Dr. Sophonie Milande Joseph, Emma Osore, and Sabina Sethi Unni will kick-off our discussion with six provocations for the future of criticism. Following their remarks, Fellows will join special guest respondents and attendees to discuss:

What kind of criticism will bring about the city we want to see?

This event is free and open to the general public.

New City Critics Fellows

Oscar Perry Abello

Oscar Perry Abello is a journalist in Washington Heights covering responses to economic injustice in urban areas across the country. He is currently senior economics correspondent at Next City, a national urban affairs magazine. Since 2010, Oscar’s reporting has also appeared in Fast Company, Yes! Magazine, Shelterforce and other outlets.

Alicia Ajayi

Alicia O. Ajayi is an architectural designer, researcher, teacher, and writer. Her work is led by a desire to uncover the layered complexities of people, place, and power. She is particularly interested in studying sites of erasure. She is currently the program strategist at BlackSpace Urbanist Collective.

Calil Arguedas-Russell

Calil Arguedas-Russell is a teacher and storyteller working through writings, videos, and lectures. They were previously awarded the Rhoda Lubalin Fellow at the Lubalin Center in New York. When not doing any of the above, you can find Calil playing chess.

Dr. Sophonie Milande Joseph

Dr. Sophonie Milande Joseph is a visual artist and community planner. She uses conceptual photography and documentary filmmaking as tools to conduct visual sociology. Her commitment to social equity informs a transformative worldview and involvement with grassroots initiatives in Haiti and North America. She is a current and founding board member of BlackSpace.

Emma Osore

Emma Osore is a Brooklyn-based participatory designer, social impact entrepreneur, and mixed media artist. With an interest in people-centered systems change, she uses co-design and Black liberation principles to help creatives transform culture. Today, she is a founding member of BlackSpace where she is now its first Co-Managing Director.

Sabina Sethi Unni

Sabina Sethi Unni is an aspiring artist-scholar, researcher, and organizer passionate about cultivating participatory open spaces through public programming and planning. She is the co-founder of Fresh Lime Soda Productions, a South Asian theater ensemble. She is a recent graduate in urban planning at Columbia GSAPP.