Kate Holmquist, USA

Kate Holmquist, AICP, is an Urban Planner and licensed Landscape Architect specializing in sustainable development and land use policy.  Most recently she worked for the City of New York on initiatives to improve the sustainability and resilience of municipal infrastructure and increase equitable access to public open spaces and the city’s waterfront.  She led community based planning and stakeholder engagement for two diverse and high-need neighborhoods, and managed a portfolio of planning and redevelopment projects for NYC Parks.

Kate has over a decade of public and private sector experience working at the nexus of natural and urban systems – ranging from international large-scale planning to conservation and sustainable design and restoration projects.  She has been engaged in community and international development through nonprofit urban research, and was invited to speak at the UN-Habitat World Urban Forum in 2014.  Inspired by the importance of global idea sharing, she founded werkstadt to explore housing access issues and the role it plays in community resilience and sustainable urbanization. She resides in Portland, Oregon.

Evren Ulker-Kacar, Turkey/USA

Evren Ulker Kacar is an urban planner with expertise in land use and environmental planning. She is experienced in leading complex environmental analyses for public and private development projects, rezonings, and neighborhood plans throughout New York City. At the NYC Department of City Planning, Evren worked as a Senior Project Manager and oversaw the environmental review and analysis of major projects in accordance with city, state, and federal regulations. She also ensured projects’ consistency with the City’s many initiatives including climate resiliency, affordable housing, neighborhood planning and economic development.

Evren has many years of experience in land use planning and has guided comprehensive and strategic planning processes for several communities in the region. She is currently a Senior Environmental Planner at VHB, a leading private firm that specializes in planning and design, transportation, environmental, civil engineering and applied technology throughout the Eastern United States.  Evren’s major areas of interest are climate change adaptation, disaster recovery, and planning for risk and resilience.