Press Release: APA New York Metro Chapter Celebrates Two New Members of the AICP College of Fellows: Donald C. Burns and Adam Lubinsky Elevated to FAICP — Class of 2026
AMERICAN PLANNING ASSOCIATION – NEW YORK METRO CHAPTER
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: communications@nyplanning.org | www.nyplanning.org
APA New York Metro Chapter Celebrates Two New Members of the AICP College of Fellows
Donald C. Burns and Adam Lubinsky Elevated to FAICP — Class of 2026
NEW YORK, NY, April 2026 – The American Planning Association New York Metro Chapter (APA-NYM) is proud to celebrate the elevation of two of our members to the AICP College of Fellows: Donald C. Burns, Deputy Regional Administrator for the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Region II, and Adam Lubinsky, Principal and Partner at WXY Studio and Associate Professor of Professional Practice at Columbia University. Both were recognized by APA's College of Fellows as part of the Class of 2026, the profession's highest membership honor.
Fellowship in the AICP College of Fellows, designated by the credential FAICP, recognizes planning professionals who have made extraordinary contributions to the profession and to the communities they serve. Election requires demonstrated excellence across practice, leadership, and service over the course of a career. Donald and Adam will be formally inducted at NPC26, the APA National Planning Conference, taking place April 25 to 28, 2026, at Huntington Place Convention Center in Detroit, Michigan.
Donald C. Burns, FAICP Class of 2026
Donald Burns embodies what it means to be both a planner's planner and a model public servant. With more than 34 years of professional experience, Donald began his career in the Bronx in 1991, where he learned how to incorporate advocacy and environmental justice in planning. Donald has established himself as a leading figure in transportation planning at the federal level. As Deputy Regional Administrator for FTA Region II, Donald has demonstrated exceptional leadership in implementing transit programs that have obligated billions of dollars in federal grants for infrastructure improvements, seamlessly integrating environmental planning, transportation design, and stakeholder engagement.
Donald's transformational achievements span from post-9/11 recovery to today's mega-projects. He led the FTA's Gateway Hudson Tunnel review team, co-writing the record-of-decision with the Federal Railroad Administration and completing the environmental process in just five months, enabling the largest Full Funding Grant Agreement in FTA history at $6.88 billion. Following September 11th, he expedited environmental review for critical Lower Manhattan transit projects, completing the Fulton Street Transit Center Environmental Impact Statement in 26 months and the South Ferry Station Environmental Assessment in 18 months, while navigating complex historic preservation challenges including the discovery of a colonial 1600s-era historic wall.
As environmental lead for East Side Access/Grand Central Madison, one of the largest transportation infrastructure projects in American history, Donald oversaw the environmental review and coordinated with resource agencies to resolve complex historic preservation issues at Grand Central Terminal. Since opening in 2023, the project has served over seventeen million commuters, reducing travel times by up to 40 minutes. His work on conceptual planning and later environmental review for Penn Station Access will soon bring new Metro-North service to underserved Bronx neighborhoods, directly addressing a long-standing transit desert.
Donald has consistently integrated innovation into federal transportation planning and pioneered the use of Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) methodology for the NY-NJ Port Authority Bus Terminal reconstruction, a model now adopted nationwide for complex multi-stakeholder infrastructure projects. His work has resulted in billions of dollars in ADA improvements, including newly accessible stations at 68th Street Hunter College and the 14th Street Complex.
His commitment to the profession extends well beyond project delivery. Donald served as APA-NYM Chapter President from 2008 to 2012, stabilizing chapter finances during the recession, establishing the Young Planners Group, restarting the Mentorship Committee, and creating the innovative "Planners in Schools" program. Since 2018, he has served as Adjunct Faculty at NYU's Schack School of Real Estate and as an APA Foundation Board member, helping fund approximately twenty scholarships annually. He chaired the Mentorship Committee for the Planners and the Black Community Division from 2022 to 2024 and has mentored every APA-NYM Chapter president since his tenure.
His contributions have earned recognition at the highest levels, including the 2021 USDOT Secretary's Silver Medal Award, the department's second highest honor, EPA Environmental Quality Awards in 2004 and 2007, and the 2006 APA-NYM Floyd Lapp Award for service.
Adam Lubinsky, PhD, FAICP Class of 2026
Adam Lubinsky represents the best of contemporary planning practice: technically excellent, community-centered, environmentally visionary, and deeply committed to equity and justice. A Principal and Partner at WXY Studio and Associate Professor of Professional Practice and Interim Director of the M.Sc. Real Estate Development Program at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation, Adam has spent over two decades leading transformative planning work at the intersection of urban design, environmental justice, climate action, and education.
Adam's equity work has had city and nationwide impact. Adam is part of the team leading the development of the NYC’s first EJNYC plan. The goal of the plan is to establish a clear set of recommendations on addressing the disparity between historically disadvantaged neighborhoods and well-served neighborhoods. He has continuously supported New York City’s role as a national leader in advancing an equitable environmental justice agenda. His work on the East Harlem Neighborhood Plan, a nine-month process involving thousands of residents, established a new national standard for authentic community-driven planning, resulting in commitments for 2,600 affordable housing units and $250 million in community investments. The plan has been cited by the New York City Council as a key precedent in the City’s approach to neighborhood planning.
Adam has established himself as a national leader in education planning through his work on the District 15 Diversity Plan in Brooklyn, which addressed school integration in what was identified as the most segregated public school system in the country. Through innovative community engagement and spatial analysis, the plan led to the elimination of discriminatory screening practices. The results have been extraordinary: 10 of 12 schools now meet socioeconomic diversity targets, up from just four. Adam helped to start the APA's Public Schools and Communities Division and was the division’s second Chair. It now counts 450+ members from around the United States and has integrated school planning into the broader planning profession. His PhD thesis at the University College London focused on the impacts of schools on neighborhoods and cities.
As a climate planning leader, Adam directed WXY's central role in developing 2023 PlaNYC: Getting Sustainability Done, the City's comprehensive sustainability and climate action plan. His Curb Enthusiasm framework created the nation's most comprehensive guide for siting on-street EV charging infrastructure; the resulting 100-station pilot program operates at over 70% utilization, far exceeding its projected 15%, and prevented 19,000 metric tons of CO₂ emissions in 2024 alone. Adam is currently directing the launch of NYC's first Urban Forest Master Plan targeting 30% canopy coverage, and led the development of the City's Resilient Acquisitions Framework, a future-facing voluntary buyout program for flood-prone properties.
At WXY, he has helped to grow the firm from 10 to 65 staff members, including eight AICP-certified planners, who reflect the lived diversity of New York City's communities. As Interim Director of Columbia's M.Sc. Real Estate Development Program, Adam oversees 130+ students and has restructured the curriculum to include sustainability, affordable housing, and equitable development. His former students now hold leadership positions in government agencies, community organizations, and private firms across the country.
Adam's work has earned six APA Metro NYC Chapter awards, designation as one of Fast Company's 100 Most Creative People in 2017, and WXY's recognition as one of the World's Most Innovative Firms in 2019. His planning projects have won 14 major awards, and he recently exhibited climate planning work at the Venice Architecture Biennale.
From APA-NYM Chapter President Paul Lozito, AICP
"Congratulations to Donald and Adam on this extraordinary and well-deserved recognition. Donald's career is a masterclass in what patient, principled, and technically excellent public service can accomplish. His fingerprints are on the transit infrastructure that millions of New Yorkers depend on every day. Adam brings a rare combination of visionary design thinking, deep community trust, and an unwavering commitment to equity that is reshaping how New York plans for its future. The New York Metro Chapter is tremendously proud to count them both among the newest Fellows of the AICP College of Fellows."
APA-NYM extends its deep appreciation to the chapter members who supported Donald and Adam through the nomination process, including David W. Woods, PhD, FAICP, Frank Fish, FAICP, and James Rausse, FAICP, whose mentorship and sustained dedication helped bring this recognition to fruition. Both Donald and Adam are resubmission candidates whose perseverance through the process reflects the same tenacity that defines their professional careers.
The AICP College of Fellows will formally induct the Class of 2026 at NPC26 in Detroit, Michigan, April 25 to 28, 2026, at Huntington Place Convention Center.
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About APA New York Metro Chapter
The American Planning Association New York Metro Chapter represents over 1,400 planning professionals across New York City and the surrounding region. APA-NYM is committed to advancing the planning profession through education, advocacy, professional development, and mentorship. Learn more at www.nyplanning.org.
