The KPF Principal presented “Connective Urbanism: Lessons from New York and Beyond” at the Spring Industry Council Meeting of the Pappas Real Estate Development (RED) Program at North Carolina State University.
The talk drew on KPF’s book Connective Urbanism—grounded in the firm’s work across New York City—as a springboard for exploring how KPF’s concepts of connectivity, mixed-use program synergies, and social districts are being applied across other U.S. cities and in international work.
New York remains one of the world’s most dense and concentrated urban environments, yet it is increasingly multi-nodal — home to three distinct business districts: Midtown, Downtown, and Hudson Yards. The connections between these neighborhoods are just as important as the districts themselves. The High Line, for example, does not simply link the Meatpacking District to Hudson Yards—it activates everything in between, generating social and economic value across the full length of its corridor. There is a real dividend that comes with the thoughtful agglomeration of program.
The talk concluded by turning to The Triangle—one of the country’s most economically vibrant and fastest-growing metropolitan regions, defined by three cities: Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill. While its urbanism is very different from New York’s, the Triangle is also an increasingly multi-nodal territory, with walkable, mixed-use enclaves emerging at places like Midtown Raleigh and the Research Triangle Hub.
The closing provocation asked: how might the Triangle interpret the lessons of the High Line or Atlanta’s BeltLine by developing long-term strategies that link multiple emerging nodes together in a meaningful, cohesive way and in doing so, write the next chapter of its own connected urbanism?
At the event, industry leaders gathered to discuss emerging trends, capital markets, and innovations in design and planning—with a focus on the transformative impact of mixed-use development. The program also included a fireside chat between Art Fields, former CEO of Crescent Resources and current Chair of Faison, and Chuck Flink, Director of the Pappas RED Program. A panel on mixed-use development featured Marty Burger, CEO of L&L Infinite Real Estate Partners; Michael Covarrubias, Chairman and CEO of TMG Partners; and Jim Ratner, Director of Max Collaborative. The discussion was moderated by Diana Reid, former CEO of Freddie Mac. Brian Fork, CEO of the Carolina Hurricanes, also presented a new mixed-use development.
