Andrew Genn: Planes, Trains and Ultra Large Containerships: Living a "Planner's" Dream

Bio:

Andrew Genn (B.S. URS '89) is Senior Vice President of the Ports & Transportation Department at the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC).  NYCEDC is a public benefit corporation responsible for strengthening the city's economy using a variety of policy and funding tools to promote robust and inclusive growth across the five boroughs.  Through its Maritime Contract with the city, the Ports & Transportation Department advances strategic development projects affecting the city's commercial seaports, airports, heliports, and rail freight facilities.  

Andrew has worked at NYCEDC since 1997 and was responsible for leading the Strategic Plan for the Redevelopment of the Port of New York, the 2003 Comprehensive Port Improvement Plan, and the 2007 Maritime Support Services Location Study.  These projects provided key guidance to the recently adopted Citywide Waterfront Plan and the Mayor's Waterfront Vision and Enhancement Strategy.

In his role, Andrew supervises a nine-person team planning and policy initiatives related to waterborne freight and passenger transportation, air cargo facility planning, rail passenger and freight transportation. Over the past year, Andrew oversaw the release of FreightNYC, a comprehensive action plan to transform the city's supply chain system, leveraging NYCEDC and regional assets to promote greater use of waterborne and rail freight to alleviate an overreliance on trucking.  To this end, Andrew helped found the Metropolitan Rail Freight Council and North Atlantic Marine Highway Alliance to promote region-wide investment and awareness of water and rail freight transportation options for shippers and beneficial cargo owners. 

Andrew serves on several boards related to the maritime industry.  He is NYCEDC's representative on the board of the Maritime Association of the Port of New York & New Jersey.  He is also a board member of the Maritime Industry Museum at Fort Schuyler on the SUNY Maritime College campus.  

Andrew is the chair of the Advisory Board for the Urban Assembly School of Global Commerce, a four-year public career and technical high school dedicated to students interested in careers in the supply chain and maritime industries. 

Andrew attended Cornell University (B.S. Urban Studies) and The Graduate Center, CUNY (M.S. Political Science). He lives on the Upper West Side with his wife and two children.

Abstract:

As planners, we often focus on the role transportation plays in moving safely and efficiently through the built environment.  During my URS days, I brought a New Yorker's subway sensibility to Ithaca and also thought about these things, but through a series of fortunate events, I started to think even more about how freight moves around the world.  After a dalliance working on environmental impact statements, I found a role in the planning of New York City's goods movement system — focusing on how trains, barges, ships, and airplanes, can be activated to make the city's economy more resilient and sustainable while creating new economic opportunities for residents.  My talk is about this uncertified planner's journey.

If you would like to attend this lecture, please register here.