Jay Pitter, MES, is an award-winning placemaker and author creating joyful public spaces that foster belonging, prosperity, and cultural memory.
She advances this work through cultural planning, policy frameworks, and storytelling—bridging rigor and collective imagination to advance public joy as essential urban infrastructure and a human right.
As an adjunct urban planning professor, she has engaged students at Cornell, Princeton, and MIT, advancing new theories of public joy that connect practice, policy, and pedagogy.
Her two forthcoming books will be published by Penguin Random House, including Black Public Joy.
Beyond her professional roles, Jay is passionate about cultivating everyday joy and inspiring communities to be stewards of one another’s joy—nurturing more harmonious and hopeful cities during these divided times.
Voted one of the top 100 Most Influential Urbanist, Past and Present
— Planetizen
Keynotes & Lectures
Jay Pitter is the most original and iconoclastic speaker on cities and urban design I’ve encountered in a long time. In a moving, articulate voice that weaves narrative and analysis, she always manages to shatter preconceptions and provide hopeful but practical ideas for meaningful change.
— Doug Saunders, Columnist & Award-Winning author (Arrival City)
Project Highlights
Pathways to Public Joy
Professional Advocacy & Social Responsibility
Storytelling & Shaping Public Conversations
For Jay, this work isn't strictly professional; it's personal. The practice leads numerous placemaking and social responsibility initiatives.
As a compelling storyteller and respected researcher; Jay brings vital perspectives to city-building conversations across various media and other platforms.