Raquel Ramati

Raquel Ramati is the owner and president of Raquel Ramati Associates Inc. She has earned an international reputation as an urban designer and planner— first in New York City’s government, and later as a private consultant working with developers, government agencies, and not-for-profit organizations.

Raquel Ramati has designed masterplans for various parts of the city and acts as a development consultant. She has developed feasibility and development studies for over 200 sites in New York City.

Ms. Ramati was the Director of the Urban Design Group at NYC’s Department of City Planning and was the Chief Architect of Manhattan. During her tenure, she was the key person in implementing major urban design initiatives: zoning legislation of urban open space, streetscape, plazas, subway easements, tree plantings, as well as density, bulk and set back controls. She pioneered the revitalization of NYC neighborhoods, including the Little Italy and Lincoln Center Special Districts. Raquel Ramati created eight zoning ordinances for improving streetscape and open space in the city.

Internationally, the firm has worked with Poland, China, Israel, India, and Japan. Raquel Ramadi’s book How to Save Your Own Street (Doubleday) describes planning implementation and community participation in 60 cities around the country.

Her professional affiliations include; Council Member of the Urban Land Institute, American Institute of Architects, Associate of New York Art Commission, and the Women’s Forum. She has received several professional accolades including the GSA Design Award and an award from the governor of New York. Ramati is active in several non-for-profit organizations.

Raquel Ramati is a graduate of the Pratt Institute School of Architecture in New York City and was a Loeb Fellow at Harvard University. She currently teaches urban design and planning at both New York University’s Schack Institute of Real Estate and Columbia University GSAPP’s Real Estate Development program.

Raquel Ramati has also recently been associated with PLP Architecture as a Senior Planner.