About

Our Goals

The Syracuse Urbanism Collective 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 Collective. 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 – President. The founding chair of the Syracuse Urbanism Collective, 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 President. 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 Collective. She is always open to new ideas for community involvement with marginalized populations.

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

Tori Shaw – Secretary. 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 Collective. She is excited to be working with the board and members of the Syracuse Urbanism Collective who are passionate about making Syracuse a better place to live, work and play.

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 Collective and hope to make an impact in my community!

Our Members & Meetings

We meet the last Tuesday of every month at 6 pm. We are excited to announce that our March 25, 2025 meeting will be at ArtRage Gallery: 505 Hawley Ave, Syracuse, NY 13203. As stated on the ArtRage Gallery home page, the ArtRage” vision for change is one that creates a community of open-minded, tolerant individuals with an appreciation for the inclusion of art in everyday life.”

Access our meeting notes here.