Partners in Public Design is an urban design practice committed to more resilient, sustainable and equitable cities. 

Thad is an urban designer, educator and community organizer who uses the power of design to mobilize communities for environmental and climate justice.  As the managing director of the Center for Resilient Cities and Landscapes at Columbia University, he brings a network of global expertise to frontline communities.  Prior to founding PPD, Thad worked for 14 years in New York City government on resilient infrastructure and community recovery and rebuilding.  Thad was a Loeb Fellow at Harvard Graduate School of Design (2014-15), and has a Master of Architecture and Certificate in Urban Design from the University of Pennsylvania. He also has a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Non-Fiction Writing from the University of Pittsburgh.

An attorney with over 16 years of corporate law firm experience, Kelly oversees PPD’s day-to-day business operations, strategic vision and finances and advises PPD on legal matters. Kelly has a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy summa cum laude from the University of Notre Dame and a Juris Doctor magna cum laude and Master of Laws in Taxation from New York University School of Law.  While studying at NYU, Kelly was awarded a Tax Policy Fellowship at the U.S. Congressional Joint Committee on Taxation.  After law school, Kelly worked as an associate at Cravath Swaine & Moore, Schulte Roth & Zabel and, most recently, as counsel at Davis Polk & Wardwell. Kelly is admitted to practice law in the State of New York and is a member of the New York City Bar Association.

Claudia is an urban design leader with extensive experience in urban policy, public space design and community engagement. She has served as Managing Deputy Commissioner of the Bureau of Planning and Design at Chicago’s Department of Planning and Development, and as Chief Urban Designer at New York City’s Department of City Planning.  Originally from the Dominican Republic, Claudia has a Master of Architecture and Urban Design from Columbia University, where she is currently an adjunct professor, and an Architecture degree from Universidad Nacional Pedro Henríquez Ureña.

Jeff has been working at the intersection of architecture, urban design and planning for more than 25 years, in both the public and private sectors, and in cities across the globe.  He served the City of New York as its Chief Urban Designer and has held leadership roles in some of the world’s top architecture, urban planning and design firms.  Jeff holds dual Masters Degrees in Architecture, Planning and Urban Design from MIT and a Bachelor of Architecture with Honors from Syracuse University.  Jeff teaches and lectures frequently and is currently an adjunct professor of urban design and planning at Columbia University.