Robert W. Balder

Robert (Bob) Balder (B.S. URS '89) has held several important positions in New York City, including director of the Mayor's Office of Lower Manhattan Development, and executive vice president of the New York City Economic Development Corporation. Most recently, he was director of planning and urban design at Gensler, New York. As the executive director of AAP NYC, Balder's charge is to help advance and coordinate AAP NYC's programs, and to ensure that the AAP presence in New York City is optimized for all AAP students, faculty, and alumni.

Academic Research/Specialty Areas

  • Economic development 
  • Housing
  • Land use/spatial planning
  • Real estate development
  • Waterfront planning

Related News

Classes (Selected)

  • CRP 5172 NYC Workshop: Land Use, Environmental Planning, and DesignThis workshop examines the evolving structure of New York City and the way large-scale developments have influenced its form, patterns of growth, opportunities for economic development, value creation, and investment. The coursework and related tours examine the historical forces that have influenced New York City, including models of urban analysis, contemporary theories of urban design, environmental impact analysis, and implementation strategies used in redevelopment projects. Other American and international cities will be used as comparisons.
  • CRP 5174 NYC Colloquium: Professional PracticeThis course examines the critical work of selected Cornell alumni from the College of Architecture, Art and Planning, specifically from the Department of City and Regional Planning and also from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. The course explores the career trajectories development of alumni, and in some cases, their transitions into other professions as attorneys, educators, advocates, real estate developers, organizational consultants, etc.
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