Architectural Record's Innovation Conference

Mitchell SilverMitchell Silver
Commissioner
New York City Department of Parks

Mitchell Silver became Commissioner of the New York City Department of Parks in May 2014. Commissioner Silver is past president of the American Planning Association (APA) and is President-Elect of the American Institute of Certified Planners. Mitchell is an award-winning planner with over 35 years of experience. He is internationally recognized for his leadership in the planning profession and his contributions to contemporary planning issues. As Parks Commissioner, Mitchell oversees management, planning and operations of nearly 30,000 acres of parkland.

As Commissioner, Mitchell established a strategic plan to address four key areas: equity, resiliency & sustainability, innovation & technology and planning & placemaking. Streamlined the capital process, completed over 700 capital projects, introduced a new public realm strategy called Parks without Borders, launched a capital project tracking system and initiated an award winning Framework for an Equitable Future to improve the parks system that included a $318 million campaign to transform 67 of the City’s most neglected parks. The $50 million Parks Without Borders program earned national and international recognition for its innovative approach to urban design and helped make parks safer and more accessible.

One of the nation’s most celebrated urban thinkers, Commissioner Silver has been elected to Planetizen’s list of the 100 Most Influential Urbanists in the world (2017). In addition, he has been honored as one of the top 100 City Innovators in the world by UBM Future Cities, and in 2012 the Urban Times named him one of the top international thought leaders of the built environment.


Innovation Conference Speakers