Samuel Ratensky Memorial Lecture: Maria Vassilakou

The Vienna Story - The making of an open City

The annual Samuel Ratensky Memorial Lecture was initiated by the AIANY Housing Committee in honor of Samuel Ratensky (1910–1972), an architect and NYC housing official who was responsible for major housing initiatives in the city from 1946 to 1972, and who served as a mentor to the many architects who worked in his programs. The lecture series honors individuals who, like Ratensky, have made significant lifetime contributions to the advancement of housing and community design. This year’s lecture honors Maria Vassilakou, Vienna's former Vice Mayor responsible for Urban Planning, Traffic and Transport, Climate Protection, Energy and Public Participation.

Speakers:
Maria Vassilakou, Founder and CEO, Vassilakou Urban Consulting GmbH

About the Speaker:
Maria Vassilakou envisages cities as open, green, affordable, family friendly and diverse places for life. In her nine years (2010-2019) serving as Vice Mayor she implemented successfully a vast transformation agenda comprising numerous innovative projects, contributing substantially to Vienna's number one position in all major international livability rankings within the last decade.

Vassilakou now works worldwide as an independent advisor on urban transformation. After leaving office, she founded Vienna Solutions, a network of experienced Viennese urban experts and practitioners, with whom she cooperates building flexible teams to deliver complex urban projects. She shares her experience and know-how from Vienna—known as the worlds most livable city—with cities, NGOs, organizations and corporations developing strategies, agendas and solutions, organizing transition management and capacity building for livable, sustainable and inclusive cities.

Since 2019, Vassilakou is also a member of the EU Horizon Mission experts board on Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities.