We’re proud to share that Pamela Cabrera has been elected to join the inaugural Van Alen Vanguard cohort by the Van Alen Institute.
Van Alen Institute is a NYC-based independent nonprofit organization that works to create equitable cities through inclusive design. For more than 130 years, their purposeful community engagement, convening capacity, and global network have produced profound transformations in the public realm of New York City and beyond.
This year, VAI launched Van Alen Vanguard, a dynamic network of 21 emerging leaders committed to civic life and design. Over the course of a year, they’ll engage in learning and collaborative projects that further their practices and professional development. Activating Van Alen’s space at 303 Bond Street, they’ll also develop public programs and exhibitions that reimagine designers’ roles in civic life and center equity, resilience, and local knowledge.
Since 1894, Van Alen has invested in people passionate about improving cities through the power of architecture and design. Their public space projects build unconventional coalitions of designers, local stakeholders, and city leaders, and we support their visions through project scoping, hands-on guidance, and seed funding. From New York City, VAI's work confronts longstanding power imbalances in citymaking, showcases the vanguard of community-led design, and supports the next generation of designers in creating more just cities.