Amanda M. Burden, FAICP, is Commissioner of the New York City Department of City Planning. Since her appointment by Mayor Bloomberg in 2002, she has spearheaded the largest planning effort in the city since 1961, setting the stage for sustainable development, reclaiming New York’s waterfront, designing new parkland and public spaces such as the High Line and promoting great architecture and urban design in all five boroughs.

From 1983 until 1990, Commissioner Burden was responsible for the planning and design of Battery Park City. Commissioner Burden received a Master’s Degree in Urban Planning from Columbia University and an Honorary Doctorate in Public Administration from the Pratt Institute. Ms. Burden’s dedication to design excellence was recognized by the Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum which presented her with its 2004 Design Patron Award as well as the New York Chapter American Institute of Architects who presented her with its 2005 Center for Architecture Award for outstanding commitment to design excellence and public participation. Amanda Burden also received ULI’s J.C.Nichols Prize for Visionaries in Urban Development in 2009 and the American Architectural Foundation Keystone Award in 2011.