Designing Waste Containerization into Streetscapes

Since the release of the Zero Waste Design Guidelines in 2017, the AIANY Committee on the Environment (COTE) has advocated for and collaborated with the Department of Sanitation (DSNY) on waste containerization as a strategy to eliminate the blight of garbage bags on city sidewalks. The 2021 Put Waste To Work campaign with WXY called on the incoming Adams administration to adopt a holistic approach to solving NYC’s immense waste problems. DSNY's current containerization plans are mandated for commercial waste as well as residential waste from 1–9 unit buildings starting this fall, and will be piloted for large buildings in West Harlem in 2025. While this is encouraging, we believe additional opportunities should be explored to maximize benefits.

AIANY COTE and the Center for Zero Waste Design (CfZWD), in partnership with the Alliance for Public Space Leadership, are hosting a panel to discuss DSNY’s new regulations and their impacts on NYC’s sidewalks and streetscapes. Join us to hear public space advocates, urban designers, policymakers and building managers discuss both DSNY’s approach and the CfZWD’s proposed alternatives, outlined in its just-released containerization report. The report is the result of years of field research, gathering best practices from cities worldwide as well as analyses of New York City’s architectural and urban conditions. Learn how waste containerization can keep sidewalks clear, make better use of curb space, improve labor for building staff and waste haulers, and incentivize waste reduction.

Introductions by the Alliance for Public Space Leadership:
Bria Donohue, Senior Manager of Government Affairs, AIA New York
Rebecca Macklis, Senior Manager of Strategic Initiatives, The Municipal Art Society of New York

Speakers:
Steven Lovci, AIA, Vice President, Capital Projects and Construction, Phipps Houses
Adam Lubinsky, PhD, AICP, Partner, WXY
Margaret Newman, FAIA, Practice Leader for Urban Places and Smart Mobility, Stantec in NYC
Martin Robertson, Facilities Manager, Oro Condominium

Moderator:
Clare Miflin, AIA, Founder and Executive Director, Center for Zero Waste Design

About the Speakers:
Steven Lovci joined Phipps Houses in September 2022 as Vice President of Capital Projects and Construction. Lovci is responsible for ensuring that Phipps Houses’ core values and vision are manifested in its building projects and capital renovations. The Department supports new projects from inception through implementation and upgrades to existing buildings. Prior to Phipps Houses, Lovci served as Executive Vice President of Capital Projects Division of the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) from 2019 to 2022. Prior to NYCHA, he was an Associate at the preservation firm Beyer Blinder Belle Architects & Planners for over a decade. Lovci has a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies from the University of Nebraska and a Bachelor of Architecture from City College, City University of New York.  He is a Licensed Architect in the state of New York. In 2022, Lovci was inducted into the National Academy of Construction.

Adam Lubinsky is a Partner at WXY, an award-winning architecture and planning firm based in New York City. Lubinsky brings an interdisciplinary approach to urbanism and the public realm. Trained as an architect with a Ph.D. in planning, he has a particular focus on strategic frameworks, master plans, and feasibility studies for public, private, and institutional projects. Over his career of two decades in the US and UK, Lubinsky has utilized community engagement, data analysis and design to re-conceive how neighborhoods and cities change. Lubinsky is also an Associate Professor of Professional Practice at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation and the Interim Director of the M.Sc. Program in Real Estate Development.

Clare Miflin, AIA, is the founder and executive director of the non-profit Center for Zero Waste Design, and principal of the design consultancy ThinkWoven, both of which emerged from the development of the Zero Waste Design Guidelines in 2017. Through grant-funded research as well as design consulting work, Miflin’s goal is to support designers, communities and policymakers by making zero waste strategies accessible and actionable, to improve buildings, neighborhoods and cities. Positing waste as a design flaw, Miflin works to deepen the knowledge and further the reach of the Guidelines, envisioning a future without garbage, where urban systems are woven into ecosystems. Miflin is certified as an architect, passive house designer and biomimicry professional, and LEED accredited. She is actively involved in the AIANY Committee on the Environment, Alliance for Public Space Leadership and Save our Compost Coalition.

Margaret Newman is the Practice Leader for Urban Places and Smart Mobility at Stantec in NYC. With over 30 years of experience as an architect and urban planner, Newman focuses on projects that prioritize more sustainable and resilient planning as an integral part of the fabric and context of cities. Bringing strategic thinking to vital infrastructure projects, she has managed key design and engineering disciplines for major projects in the public realm. Master planning work has included energy efficient site design for the Ford Campus, multimodal technologies for NY State, and environmental justice considerations for Monmouth County NJ. Newman served as Chief of Staff for the NYC Department of Transportation under Mayor Bloomberg where she provided both policy and technical leadership in implementing the goals and initiatives of plaNYC, to prepare NYC for a sustainable future: implementation of green infrastructure for NYC streets, LED technology for 300,000 streetlights, and developing the Street Design Manual. A founding partner in Marren and Newman Architects in NY, she is on the faculty at the Michael Graves School of Public Architecture at Kean University. A Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, Newman was recognized for her role in changing the streets of New York.

Martin Robertson is an accomplished Facilities Manager for the Oro Condominium and a committed advocate for sustainability in building management. Awarded the prestigious Building Service Worker Award for Green Worker of the Year in 2023, Robertson's career reflects his passion for educating others on the essential elements necessary for a sustainable tomorrow. As an instructor for the 32BJ Union, Robertson teaches BPI-certified courses, including the Multi-Family Building Operator (MFBO), Multi-Family Building Analyst (MFBA), and Urban Green certified GPro Operations and Maintenance (GPRO O&M). He has also been a guest speaker at NESEA’s 2022 Building Energy Conference. In addition to his instructional roles, Robertson has been interviewed for a thought-provoking New York Times article that shed light on the complexities of trash collection in New York City. He has been featured in Habitat Magazine and Urban Omnibus for his innovative approach to Facilities and Resident Management in luxury condominiums. Furthermore, Robertson has served as a member of the Manhattan Solid Waste Advisory Board (MSWAB), contributing his expertise to improve waste management strategies in the community.