All Posts Under van alen institute

Strange Bedfellows: Real Estate, The Arts, and the Value of Space

As government funding for the arts vacillates with the ping-pong of dual-party politics, and as periodic recessions strip many wealthy donors of their giving capacity, the precarity of the creative community has become the norm. Join us for a discussion as we devise new ways to fortify the arts through New York City’s one true constant: the ever-rising value of space.

In the Land Bank: Borrowing, Bankruptcy & Bailouts, Fast-Paced Presentations and Discussion

Who holds the strings to the public purse that pays for crucial services and ultimately determines a city’s financial survival? From grassroots land grabs and infrastructure collapse, to Community Development Block Grant programs, we’ll pinpoint the state and federal policies and land-use loopholes that have major implications for municipal money.

Midtown Mandate: Trump & The New York City Skyline Walking Tour

Before he was a presidential candidate, Donald Trump transformed the skyline of New York City as he navigated zoning laws and mayoral administrations. Join architectural historian, Emmy-nominated humorist, and author of TRUMPitecture: The Architecture of Donald TRUMP Barry Goldsmith on a non-dogmatic tour of Trump’s impact on Midtown Manhattan, and how real estate investment informs the experience of the city with or without policymakers and voters.