When we think of Open House New York, we rightfully think about buildings and the thrill of getting access to the otherwise inaccessible. But this summer, in celebration of the 15th anniversary of Open House New York Weekend, we invite you to join us as we explore some of the deeper values and ideas that make the experience of architecture and cities so powerful, values and ideas that Open House New York itself champions in its programs.

On July 13, join OHNY and Miquela Craytor for a conversation about inclusion. Miquela Craytor is the Executive Director of Industrial Partnerships at the NYC Department of Small Business Services. Her work has consisted of overseeing the city’s revived industrial policy efforts. Projects include the city-wide Industrial Action Plan and overseeing the Futureworks NYC initiatives, a $13 million suite of investments in advanced manufacturing services. She was formerly the executive director at Sustainable South Bronx for over three years. She also served as the Senior Planner for Economic Development in the economic arm of the Bronx Borough President’s office. She received a BA in planning, public policy, & management from the Honors College at the University of Oregon and her MS in city & regional planning from Pratt Institute. She is a 2010 Catto Fellow of the Aspen Institute, a 2010 BMW Transatlantic Fellow, and a board member of the NYC Workforce Development Corporation.

Open House New York’s Conversations on the City offers diverse perspectives on the issues defining New York’s recovery, resilience, and reopening in the aftermath of COVID-19. The series was launched at the onset of the pandemic in April 2020 amid a moment of uncertainty about the future of urban life, ultimately drawing together an audience of 10,000 over the subsequent months. Organized around a broad theme or topic, the series has a point of view: urban life brings an abiding joy. What makes cities continue to thrive, what propels them forward, is a shared need for human connection; this is what cities make possible and it will always prevail over whatever challenges may arise.

This series is organized in partnership with LMHQ. Created by The Alliance for Downtown New York, LMHQ is a collaboration space for Lower Manhattan’s creatives and creators. Companies can come together at LMHQ to collaborate, activate, and accelerate their growth.