Regional Plan Association mourns the passing of James Stewart Polshek, who served on the RPA Board from 2004 to 2013, and later served as a member of the selection committee for RPA’s Richard Kaplan Chair for Urban Design.
During his tenure on the RPA Board, Jim chaired RPA’s advisory committee on Manhattan’s Far West Side, which looked at the Bloomberg Administration’s plans for Hudson Yards, the High Line and #7 subway extension. He understood the role of design in regional planning and always reminded us to frame our issues in those terms. In rooms filled with architects, urban designers, planners and developers, Jim provided a voice of reason and reconciliation by focusing on the larger context. He did this with a combination of creativity, modesty, generosity, thoughtfulness and a good deal of humor, which was always appreciated.
Throughout his long and celebrated career, Jim Polshek elevated the role of the civic architect as a designer, educator and board member. We send our condolences to his family and mourn his passing while we celebrate his extraordinary life and the contributions he made to cities across the nation – and especially his beloved New York.
