Dr. Mary Travis Bassett has dedicated her career to the promotion of health equity by leading initiatives likes AIDS-prevention interventions in Zimbabwe and bans on smoking and trans fats in restaurants in New York City. As the commissioner of the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene since 2014, Dr. Bassett has tackled challenging issues like mental illness and substance abuse, taking a courageous stand linking social justice and race to the health of all New Yorkers.
We concluded the festival with a captivating conversation between Dr. Bassett and former “Ethicist” columnist for The New York Times, Randy Cohen, in a live recording of the radio show Person Place Thing. Dr. Bassett told us about a person, a place, and a thing that shaped her current work on well-being in cities. The evening also featured performances by lightning-fingered accordionist Samuel Reider.
This event was designated for AIA CES (1.5 LU | HSW) and ASLA CES (1.5 LU | HSW).
This event was part of u feel ok?: Health & NYC, Van Alen’s fall program festival from November 11-13 exploring: How does the shape of the city impact our health? What is the physical imprint of healthcare in a city as dense as New York? How can designers and everyday citizens create spaces for everyone to thrive? We prescribed the urgent topic of health to design and other arenas like transportation, land value, and race, through four days of back-to-back debates, tours, and provocations across New York City.