Cornell AAP’s New York City-based programs are immersive, cross-disciplinary, and connective. Dynamic by design, the AAP NYC student experience is defined by the city’s myriad urban contexts and guided by world-class faculty and facilities.
Complementing AAP’s Ithaca-based core courses and curricula, the Gensler Family AAP NYC Center’s (AAP NYC) new home on Roosevelt Island marks a watershed moment for the college and creates a platform for students and faculty to engage with the city’s buildings, spaces, and communities firsthand, address urban challenges, and rethink possibilities in situ.
The center is housed within the recently redesigned fourth floor of the Tata Innovation Center on the Cornell Tech campus, a hub for interdisciplinary exchange and collaboration. Steeped in the creative culture and rich history of New York City, Study Away at AAP NYC provides students with access to leading practitioners, civic and cultural institutions, and communities that advance current contemporary design and planning practices. Course offerings span the college’s disciplines and are augmented with field trips, tours, and site visits, as well as studio visits and networking events with industry leaders. Beyond coursework, students draw from the city’s unique artistic, historic, and cultural resources, and make lasting connections with AAP’s vast community of New York City-based alumni to enrich their Cornell AAP education.
Participating Degree Programs
Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch.)
optional in fourth and fifth year, fall or spring semester
Master of Architecture (M.Arch.)
required in fifth semester (fall), optional spring semester
Post-professional Master of Science in Advanced Architectural Design (M.S. AAD)
required for first of three semesters (summer)
Post-professional Master of Science in Advanced Urban Design (M.S. AUD)
all three semesters take place at AAP NYC, beginning in fall
Bachelor of Science in Urban and Regional Studies (B.S. URS)
optional (fall only, by application)
Master of Regional Planning (M.R.P)
optional in second year, third semester (fall semester only)
Dual Degree: Master of Regional Planning and Landscape Architecture (M.R.P. / M.L.A.)
optional in second or third year (fall semester only)
Master of Science in Design Technology (M.S. DT)
available in second year (fall and spring semesters)
Master of Professional Studies in Real Estate (M.P.S. RE)
available in second year (fall and spring semesters), debuting fall 2026
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City Visionaries: Summer Program for High School Students
A transformative, cross-disciplinary introduction to foundational principles of city design at the scale of New York City.
Inside the AAP NYC Center
Gensler Family Endows, Names Cornell AAP NYC Program
In January 2021, AAP received a $10 million endowment from M. Arthur Gensler (B.Arch. ’57) and his family to support the future of the college’s thriving New York City-based program, AAP NYC.
The Gensler family’s generosity and support sees that this cornerstone program cofounded by Art Gensler will continue to strengthen AAP’s commitment to engagement with the urban built environment that enables the next generation to make a deep and lasting impact on cities and communities.
Leadership Team
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Executive Director
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Deputy Director
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Upcoming and Ongoing Events
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Apr 23
2026 L. Michael Goldsmith Lecture featuring Annabelle Selldorf
The L. Michael Goldsmith Lecture, established in 2009 to honor the legacy of Cornell alumnus Michael Goldsmith (B.Arch. ’72), features Annabelle Selldorf with an introduction by Dean J. Meejin Yoon.
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May 16
NYCxDESIGN Student Tour: Cornell Tech
Join NYCxDESIGN to learn more about Cornell AAP’s Department of Design Tech and the array of programs held at the Gensler Family AAP NYC Center on Cornell Tech’s Roosevelt Island campus in New York City.
Latest News and Research
Latest News and Research
Stories Designing the Future: A Q&A With Harald Haraldsson
Haraldsson, Associate Professor of the Practice in Design Tech at Cornell Tech and AAP, shares his vision for extended reality, his lab’s unique approach to prototyping, and what excites him most about the future of immersive design.
Stories Cornell AAP to Launch First New York City-based High School Summer Program
Cornell AAP recently announced an opportunity for rising high school juniors and seniors to join City Visionaries, the newest addition to the Gensler Family AAP NYC Center’s (AAP NYC) immersive slate of New York City-based programs.
Stories Largest-Ever Cornell Delegation to Attend Climate Week NYC
The Cornell Chronicle announced participating Cornell faculty in this year’s climate week, including AAP’s Billie Faircloth (Architecture, Cornell Atkinson Scholar and Senior Faculty Fellow) and Linda Shi (CRP) who will add to public discourse on topics including renewable energy transition, protecting public health from increasing heat waves, and addressing the impact of climate change on housing and community planning.
Announcements
Explore Fall ’26 Classes for Non-Majors at AAP
Expand your disciplinary boundaries and enroll in courses that cultivate connection and catalyze actionable research. Options range from fundamentals to deep dives across architecture, art, city and regional planning, real estate, and design technology.
Stories Annabelle Selldorf: The Courage to Make Noise
This spring’s L. Michael Goldsmith Lecture will feature guest speaker Annabelle Selldorf, founding principal of Selldorf Architects. In advance of the event hosted by the Gensler Family AAP NYC Center on April 23 at Cornell Tech’s Verizon Executive Education Center, Selldorf reflected on her work in the city, in the art world, and why the job of an architect is to care.
Stories From Milstein Scholar to Design Tech Pioneer
Julia Beitel (M.S. DT ’26) brings an interdisciplinary approach to design and technology at Cornell Tech, developing inventive projects that integrate ethical innovation, digital and physical systems, and hands-on making through fabrication, teaching, and community-based work.