Professor of urban design and landscape architecture
Pratt Institute
President
Public Design Commission of the City of New York
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Designers are public intellectuals, turning ideas into realities. For Signe Nielsen that public role is paramount. "The urban arena is the setting where we can create places that are truly restorative to both people and the environment," she says. She has led more than 400 projects, nationally and globally, and these projects have won almost every possible design award. But her sense of design's public mission extends far beyond these interventions. In addition to her hands-on project leadership, she is the co-author of several books on sustainable and green design for the NYC Department of Design and Construction. Signe has taught at Pratt Institute for more than two decades and has also lectured and juried competitions at institutions around the world, including Harvard University and the Ecole Normale Superiure in Paris. As president of the Public Design Commission of the City of New York, Signe is a strong and effective advocate for a beautiful, inspiring and diverse urban fabric.