ANA
FISYAK
FISYAK
PLANNING
RESEARCH
DEVELOPMENT
I’m an urban planner, researcher, and nonprofit strategist dedicated to a community-based approach. I have provided technical assistance for NYC communities and CBOs for over a decade, especially collaborating with organizations in low-income communities of color and environmental justice areas. I teach at Parsons/New School and SUNY. I am currently working with New York communities to develop offshore wind projects at Equinor.
My work intersects human ecology, climate change, public space, social determinants of health, and the arts. I’m a Faculty Fellow at the Urban Systems Lab, The New School and an Urban Design Forum Fellow. My work has been covered by World Architecture, The Grist, Resilience.org, and The Wave.
My work intersects human ecology, climate change, public space, social determinants of health, and the arts. I’m a Faculty Fellow at the Urban Systems Lab, The New School and an Urban Design Forum Fellow. My work has been covered by World Architecture, The Grist, Resilience.org, and The Wave.
Featured Work
Community Visioning following Managed Retreat Proposal Selected by The Nature Conservancy
2021
DEVELOPMENT
ENGAGEMENT
PLANNING
Partners: RISE, CCCE, Edgemere Community Civic Association, Edgemere Coalition Community Garden, and others
Funder: The Nature Conservancy
DEVELOPMENT
ENGAGEMENT
PLANNING
Partners: RISE, CCCE, Edgemere Community Civic Association, Edgemere Coalition Community Garden, and others
Funder: The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy awards our team’s proposal for an inclusive, equitable community visioning process for vacant land following managed retreat in Edgemere, Queens. The highly competitive NYS-focused program selected only two projects in the state. The project—which will be led by Rockaway Initiative for Sustainability & Equity with technical assistance by the Collective for Community, Culture, and Environment—will
initiate a co-creation process for socially and ecologically equitable use of vacant, flood prone areas with local partners. The project seeks to strengthen relationships within the community and to city agencies; grow awareness about “living with water” and community involvement in land stewardship; provide a forum for deeply community-driven visioning and a wide variety of voices; and align community priorities around a community land trust model.
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Images couresy of RISE. Photos by Benjamin P. Martin, Giles Ashford, and the Rockaway Field Guide.
Images couresy of RISE. Photos by Benjamin P. Martin, Giles Ashford, and the Rockaway Field Guide.
All Projects
Researching Environmental Stewardship's Role in Combating Eco-Anxiety for Climate Action
2020
ENGAGEMENT
RESEARCH
2020
ENGAGEMENT
RESEARCH
Ana Fisyak is named Faculty Fellow @ Urban Systems Lab | THE NEW SCHOOL for Healing Dunes . The project seeks to
understand how environmental conservation, especially the stewardship of
natural and nature-based features focused on protecting front line communities,
can help to improve mental health, combat eco-anxiety, and open larger
conversation in the community around climate change adaptation in a positive
and generative way. The research will focus on the Rockaway peninsula, in
partnership with local organizations. The Urban Systems Lab Fellowship
supports research and scholarly activity that further the USL’s commitment to
providing new insight into developing more equitable and resilient cities. For
more information about Urban Systems Lab visit http://urbansystemslab.com/.
The
sign reads “What creates health? Parks. Feeling. Trees. Ecology. Reefs.”
Photo by Giles Ashford. Images courtesy of RISE.
Photo by Giles Ashford. Images courtesy of RISE.
Winning $372,000 for the
Rockaway Dune Enhancement Plan
2019
PLANNING
DEVELOPMENT
Client: Rockaway Initiative for Sustainability & Equity
Partners: NYCParks, NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation, US Army Corps
2019
PLANNING
DEVELOPMENT
Client: Rockaway Initiative for Sustainability & Equity
Partners: NYCParks, NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation, US Army Corps
Secured $372K from the NFWF’s National Coastal
Resilience Fund to complete a site assessment and preliminary design to
strengthen 7-miles of Rockaway’s dune system, the community’s first line of
defense against storm surge. The project will align multiple state, federal and
local projects and prioritize biodiversity and community voices in the process.
Image courtesy of RISE. Photo by Giles Ashford.
Enabling Rockaway Homeowners to Adapt to Coastal Flooding
2020
ENGAGEMENT
RESEARCH
PLANNING
Client: Rockaway Initiative for Sustainability & Equity (RISE)
Partners: Columbia University, Stevens Institute, New York Hall of Science
2020
ENGAGEMENT
RESEARCH
PLANNING
Client: Rockaway Initiative for Sustainability & Equity (RISE)
Partners: Columbia University, Stevens Institute, New York Hall of Science
The multi-disciplinary project aims to empower
homeowners across the Rockaway Peninsula to reduce
impacts of flooding on their homes, finances, and lives. Homeowners are uniquely at risk to flooding while also most able to take action; they also play an
important role as community innovators. Working in close collaboration with
civic associations to design, implement, and
evaluate three engagement strategies to understand how to best support
homeowners and catalyze preparedness and community-wide conversations about
coastal flooding. The research will be used to scale the project and develop a community toolkit that can be used to spur community dialogue about climate adaptation.
Images courtesy of RISE. Photos by Giles Ashford.