Samuel Ratensky Memorial Lecture: Majora Carter

05.26.2026 The annual Samuel Ratensky Memorial Lecture was initiated by the AIANY Housing Committee in honor of Samuel Ratensky (1910–1972), an architect and NYC housing official who was responsible for major housing initiatives in the city from 1946 to 1972, and who served as a mentor to the many architects who worked in his programs. The lecture series honors individuals who, like Ratensky, have made significant lifetime contributions to the advancement of housing and community design. This year's lecture honors MacArthur Fellow Majora Carter who will present "Transit, Talent, and Tomorrow: A Bronx Blueprint for Urban Revitalization." Majora Carter brings her international leadership in urban revitalization strategy back to The Bronx in an inspiring talk about leveraging Transit Oriented Development, Talent-Retention, and pushing zoning and building codes for climate-adaptation and greater buildable square footage in an era of housing shortfalls. She pioneered green collar job training & placement systems, a green roof property tax abatement still in effect after 20 years, and a Rudy Bruner award winning park where there were once illegal garbage dumps. She went on to create StartUp Box, a 3rd space tech-inclusion social enterprise, and later opened The Boogie Down Grind cafe-bar named Best in the City by TimeOutNY. She is currently building on her relationship with Amtrak to combine Right of Way property with adjacent smaller lots that open the door for greater possibilities where others see none. Organized by Center for Architecture; AIANY Housing Committee