Gabriela Rendón Featured In Charlotte School Of Architecture Lecture
Gabriela Rendón, an Associate Professor of Urban Planning and Community Development and the Founding Director of Parsons Housing Justice Lab at The New School, is featured in the UNC Charlotte David R. Ravin School of Architecture 2023-24 Lecture Series on January 17, 2024 – 2:00 PM in the Boardman Auditorium/Storrs 110.
Rendón is a leading voice in the field. Her multifaceted role includes co-coordinating the Graduate Minor in Design and Urban Justice and serving as a Faculty Fellow at the Graduate Institute for Design, Ethnography, and Social Thought for the academic year 2022-2023.
Rendón’s expertise spans a wide range of critical urban issues, from community planning and design to the socio-spatial restructuring of immigrant neighborhoods. Her research delves into the rise and settlement of Latinx urban communities, housing and tenants rights, gentrification and displacement, and innovative housing development models aimed at fostering equitable development in profit-driven urban environments.
Beyond academia, Rendón is deeply engaged in community initiatives. She holds positions as a board member of the Cooper Square Community Land Trust and the Cooper Square Mutual Housing Association. Her commitment extends to various community-based organizations and boards, including her involvement with the Left Forum in New York City.
As a co-founder of Urban Front, a transnational consultancy, Rendón contributes localized knowledge to public and third-sector organizations dedicated to social and environmental justice. Additionally, she is a co-founder of Cohabitation Strategies, a nonprofit facilitating community-led efforts through participatory frameworks that lead to urban and social transformation.
Rendón’s impact extends globally, with her work showcased at prestigious venues such as the Venice Biennale, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (MCASD), the Portugal Triennial 2016, the Vienna Biennale 2015, the Istanbul Design Biennial 2012, and the 4th International Architecture Biennale Rotterdam.
An accomplished author and editor, Rendón has contributed to publications on housing, cooperative urban practices, and neighborhood restructuring. Currently, she is actively working on two books: “Defiant Neighborhoods: Rise, Revitalization, and Gentrification of Immigrant Communities in Latinx Brooklyn” and “Cohabitation Strategies: Thoughts and Actions for the Co-Production of Social Space.”
Rendón’s academic journey includes earning a Ph.D. in Spatial Planning and Strategy and an MS in Urbanism from Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands. Her educational background also includes a BS in Architecture from the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education in Mexico. Before joining The New School, she taught at the European Masters in Urbanism at Delft University of Technology.
Born and raised in Mexico, Rendón’s early experiences at the Tijuana/San Diego border region fueled her passion for immigrant and housing justice. Currently residing in Brooklyn, she continues to be a driving force in advancing critical conversations and actions addressing the complex challenges of urban development and social justice.