URBAN COLLOQUIUM I FALL 2025
This fall, the MS Design and Urban Ecologies’ Urban Colloquium I explores the urgent need to rethink our relationship to land. It examines how treating land solely as a commodity has failed most communities across the city, showing how concentrated control and rising housing costs have become root causes of the homelessness and housing crisis in New York City. This speaker series will bring together progressive policymakers, land defenders, and community members to share their stories of struggle and resilience. Through these conversations, guest and students will discuss strategies and tactics that challenge existing norms and build a shared vision for the just, inclusive city we all want to live in.
Resilient Red Hook and Our Relation with Land.
Wednesday, September 3, 2025, 4:00 to 6:40pm
Room 601, New School University Center
63 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10003
Victoria Alexander is the co-founder of the Red Hook Business Alliance, a founding member and current acting Chair of Resilient Red Hook, and a leader in the Voices of the Waterfront movement, advocating for community voices in the future of the Brooklyn Marine Terminal. She previously served for eight years on Brooklyn’s Community Board 6 and worked with PortSide NewYork after Hurricane Sandy—efforts that earned her a Champion of Change Award.
As the founder of Realty Collective, Victoria has become a leading voice on planning and development issues in Red Hook. Known as both a real estate professional and community activist, she uses her practice to bridge the gap between individuals, institutions, and neighborhoods—leveraging her access to city governance on behalf of the community. From the outset, she sought to redefine what real estate could be, creating a company grounded in meaningful relationships, community stewardship, and client advocacy rather than profit alone.
Victoria holds a master’s degree in Historic Preservation from Pratt Institute and is widely recognized for her commitment to resilient, community-driven development in New York City.
This lecture is a part of the Urban Colloquium I program Fall 2025.
