Vaidehi Mody Earns ABNY Spotlight for “Powering NYC”
Congratulations to NYCHA Senior Planning Consultant Vaidehi Mody, who was recognized by the Association for a Better New York (ABNY) this month for her “behind the scenes work that helps make our city run and drives change across our city’s transportation, urban planning, parks, sanitation, and climate resiliency functions.” The ABNY is a nonprofit organization that convenes, mobilizes, and activates the region’s public and private sectors for the continuous growth and renewal of New York City’s people, communities, and businesses.
Ms. Mody, an architect, project manager, and urban placemaker by training, was born in India and educated there and in the United States. She is a deep thinker who envisions vibrant and livable urban spaces as well as an energetic contributor to the well-being of NYCHA’s resident communities through the power of great planning, design, and cross-sector partnerships.
“I am thrilled to receive this recognition from the ABNY towards ‘Powering NYC,’” Ms. Mody said. “I feel so empowered by the city myself! But this recognition is not really a spotlight on the work of an individual – this work is always shaped by amazing collaborations with incredible colleagues, partners, and supporters from diverse sectors, all working together to find innovative solutions to strengthen our city’s public housing.”
It was during her childhood that Ms. Mody first felt drawn to the work of urban placemaking – the sub-discipline of urban planning in which she earned the first of her two master’s degrees. When she was just 7 years old, her family moved to “a building with a lawn where I could finally run around and play with kids my age.” Only years later did she come to appreciate that time as one in which the power of her physical environment truly made a positive, lasting difference in how she felt and grew and experienced herself. Ms. Mody believes that early moment was also the pivotal first step in what has become her professional journey.
Today, Ms. Mody takes great pride in the work she does at NYCHA, including her contributions to the award-winning Open Space Masterplan, which she called “the first-ever comprehensive master plan in the agency’s recent history.” Speaking of the plan, Ms. Mody said, “What truly stands out to me is how other City agencies, urban planning advocacies, and academic curricula now look to these resources as an industry benchmark for best practice.” In her view, the plan enhances the quality of life for New Yorkers on multiple levels: “Whether it’s a new open space revitalization project, an improved participatory design process, or an initiative that contributes to our city’s public housing and public realm goals, the plan is a tremendous resource.”
When it comes to fostering the excellence she prizes in all her projects, Ms. Mody trusts in productive, collaborative design processes rather than focusing exclusively on end results. “The magic really lies in the journey,” Ms. Mody said. “Every phase of the process should make room for collaboration and coordination.” She believes that the best urban planning is accomplished by creating strong alignment among the multiple teams, agencies, and stakeholders that are involved in a project, so as to harmonize their multiple priorities and goals into a unified vision and thus a truly successful end product.
For more information about the work Ms. Mody and her colleagues do, visit https://www.nyc.gov/site/nycha/about/connected-communities.page.
Photo captions: In the photo above, Vaidehi Mody is at far left with NYCHA’s Architecture and Engineering Services team at the Open Space Masterplan award ceremony. In the photos below, Ms. Mody works with colleagues, residents, and other partners to improve the quality of life at NYCHA developments.
