Public and Urban Policy
Mission Statement
The New School’s Master of Science program in Public and Urban Policy attracts and trains change makers who apply the tools and concepts of policy analysis to improve our communities, our cities, and our global future. They challenge the status quo and prioritize social inclusion, and equity in the design and implementation of public and urban policy. The program achieves these goals by offering a diverse group of learners a laboratory for putting theory into practice, in which students and faculty examine today’s critical public policy issues through an urban lens and design creative solutions, while working closely with leaders in government, nonprofit organizations, and the private sector.
Visit the Master of Science in Public and Urban Policy page at newschool.edu to learn about degree requirements, application information, program faculty, and more.
Leadership
Alex Schwartz, Chair of the MS Public and Urban Policy Program & Professor of Urban Policy
Urban Policy Lab
The Urban Policy Lab is Milano’s oldest and largest client-centered course. Students in the lab work in teams to advise clients in government and the nonprofit sector on pressing policy and management issues. Working under the supervision of a faculty supervisor, students research the issue, identify possible solutions, and analyze them. The students present their recommendations to the client in a formal briefing and then submit a written report incorporating client feedback. Learn more.
Public & Urban Policy Alumni Panel Discussions on Careers in Government, Housing, and Advocacy
In February 2022, the PUP program held three panel discussions in which alumni discussed their careers in New York City government, housing and community development, and advocacy. The government and housing discussion was moderated by program chair Alex Schwartz, and the advocacy discussion by Professor Bryna Sanger.
The panelists for the Feb. 4 discussion on careers in New York City Government were:
Erin M. Drinkwater (2007), Deputy Commissioner of Intergovernmental and Legislative Affairs, NYC Department of Social Services
Alix Scherer (2019) Senior Analyst, NYC Mayor’s Office of Management and Budget
Wendy Garcia (2006), Chief Diversity Officer, NYC Office of the Comptroller
Amy Shebar (2009) Deputy Director of Elementary Programs, NYC Department of Youth and Community Development
The panelists for the Feb. 25 discussion on careers in housing and community development were:
Margy Brown (2012), Associate Commissioner, Housing Opportunity and Program Services, New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development
Tania Garrido (1998), Senior Director, NYC Asset Management, Enterprise Housing Credit Investments
Christine (Retzlaff) O’Connell (2011), Director of Community Development Investments, Local Initiatives Support Corporation, previously at HPD and NYCHA.
Bonnie Nesbitt (2012), Senior Multifamily Mortgage Underwriter, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Josh Weisstuch (2009), Senior Project Manager, Camber Property Group. Previously at Gilbane Development and L&M Development Partners
The panelists for the Feb. 25 discussion on careers in advocacy were:
Allison Auldridge (2010), Director of Community Engagement, Children’s Therapy Center
Meg Davidson (2016), Director of Policy and Advocacy, San Francisco-Marin County Food Bank
Sarah Fajardo (2013), Policy Director, ACLU of New Jersey
Alexis Renee Posey (2014), Chief Program Officer, National Institute for Reproductive Health/NIRH Action Fund
Michelle Silver (2011), Senior Associate, Policy Link
In the September 28th 2023 panel, Deconstructing Gentrification: A conversation with Todd Swanstrom and Barika Williams, Todd Swanstrom discusses ideas from his book: The Changing American Neighborhood: The Meaning of Place in the Twenty-First Century (Cornell) which argues that gentrification is a complex and variegated phenomenon that has become a stand-in for unequal power relations and the history of racial exclusion – detached from specific processes of neighborhood change.
Barika Williams, Executive Director of one of NYC’s leading community development groups, the Association for Neighborhood and Housing Development, will discuss Todd’s argument in light of the New York City experience.
Public & Urban Policy Alumni Panel Discussion on Work in the Private Sector
Continuing the alumni panels, on February 23, 2024 we had a panel discussion featuring five alumni who hold a wide range of jobs in the private sector. The discussion follows previous ones that have highlighted alumni who work in NYC government, housing, and advocacy. Among other topics, this discussion considers the pros and cons of working in the private sector as opposed to the nonprofit and public sectors, how the program prepared the speakers for their careers, and what advice they would offer students interested in working in the private sector.
The panelists for the Feb. 23 discussion on work in the private sector were:
Zach Connolly (2014), Data Science & Analytics Director, Commons
Micah Hunter, (2015), Project Manager, NHP Foundation
Janine Jensen (2007), Global Diversity Equity Inclusion & Belonging Lead, Organon, Inc.
Jake Oliver (2014), Vice President. Anat Gerstein Inc
Vanessa Youngs (2011), Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Moody’s Corporation