About

Our Goals

The Syracuse Urbanism Club strives to build access to human-centered, walkable, vibrant communities and spaces for all. Our goal is to enhance the urbanism of Syracuse through physical installations and programming in public space, as well as advocacy on policy and design.

Welcoming Statement

Welcome to the Syracuse Urbanism Club. We are open to all, regardless of level of experience or knowledge. We aim to be inclusive and democratic. All who sign up on our website, show up to our meetings, or both, are automatically considered to be members. We encourage new members to speak up and share ideas. If you have something you’d like to share that doesn’t quite fit a meeting agenda, we’ll have an opportunity for you to talk about it at the end of the meeting.

Affiliations

The Board

Baxter Hankin – Chair. The founding chair of the Syracuse Urbanism Club, Baxter Hankin is an aspiring architect at QPK Design in Syracuse, NY. He’s originally from Newtown, Connecticut and graduated from the Syracuse University School of Architecture in 2020. His undergraduate thesis work on the I-81 Viaduct Project and the Community Grid led to his interest in continuing to create a more vibrant urban landscape in Syracuse and sticking around town for the long term. Hankin also serves on the board of PLACE Initiative, which deals with public policy at the intersection of urbanism and climate change. http://baxterhankin.com/

Jaynelle Nixon – Vice Chair. Dr. Jaynelle D. Nixon is a professor of media, women’s & gender studies. She is a lifelong community advocate, activist, and volunteer who is passionate about free and open access to public space for all. She has founded various groups dedicated to creating safe spaces for people who may not feel safe taking full advantage of the great outdoors. For example, she founded a women’s camping group for women of all ethnicities and an outdoor excursions group for Black people of all genders. Most recently, she is continuing the Upstate NY tradition of women’s bike fests by creating the first annual SWAG Bike Fest (Syracuse Women’s and Gender Nonconforming People’s Bike Fest) as part of the Syracuse Urbanism Club. She is always open to new ideas for community involvement with marginalized populations.

Kevin Race – Media Director. I am a Central New York local, born in Syracuse, raised in Cazenovia, and now living in the Westcott neighborhood.  I have many passions revolving around the intersections of sustainability, urban design, architecture, and social/environmental justice.  My dream is to develop real estate with an emphasis on good design, sustainable materials, and affordable housing and commercial spaces for local tenants.  Urbanism Club has brought much needed community connection into my life, allowing me to share ideas with other passionate people and collaborate on projects like Mini Meadows which have me feeling more excited than ever about the future of our city.

Tori Shaw – Secretary & Policy Director. Tori Shaw has lived in Syracuse since 2020. She is a Master’s of Landscape Architecture graduate student at SUNY ESF. Her research is on historic preservation and industrial brownfield redevelopment. After taking several urban planning and community design classes, she found the Syracuse Urbanism Club. She is excited to be working with the board and members of the Syracuse Urbanism Club who are passionate about making Syracuse a better place to live, work and play

Michael John Heagerty – Implementation Director. Michael John is a community champion of all things art and culture that specializes in activations of unused Real Estate to create real Impact – through Curation, Pop-Up shops, exhibitions, civic events and experiences and experimental marketing. He is the Chair of the Syracuse Public Art Commission, Founder of Wildflowers Armory and the McCarthy Mercantile and enjoys tactical urbanism and salt potatoes. – https://www.michaeljohnheagerty.com/

Jonathan Rizk – Treasurer. I grew up in Elmira, NY and have been living in Syracuse since 2023. I work as an engineer trainee at Arcadis, in downtown Syracuse. I am very passionate about active and alternate methods of transportation, and I believe Syracuse has the potential to become a very human-centered city. I am very excited to work with the Syracuse Urbanism Club and hope to make an impact in my community!

Our Members & Meetings

The Syracuse Urbanism Club has over 140 members and is open to all. To become a member, simply fill out the form on the “Join” page of our website or attend one of our meetings! Anyone of any level of expertise or commitment is welcome! We try to be as inclusive and democratic as possible in our meetings, our work, and beyond. Join us at Syracuse’s McCarthy Mercantile on the last Tuesday of every month at 6pm.

Access our meeting notes here.