Photos by Tom Weis Photography

On October 22nd, the Consortium for Sustainable Urbanization (CSU) celebrated an extraordinary milestone, our most successful Gala yet, held in the iconic Marquis Ballroom at the New York Marriott Marquis. This event was not only our largest and most ambitious gathering to date, but also the most successful gala in CSU’s history. From the moment guests arrived at the reception, the air pulsed with momentum: a vibrant mix of CSU’s long-standing supporters as well as many first-time attendees, united by a shared belief in the future of sustainable cities.

This year’s event brought together leaders from a diverse range of industries including film and real estate to climate advocacy, design, technology, and academia. The energy of the evening grew out of genuine cross-sector networking: creatives, policymakers, technologists, and urban practitioners forging new connections and celebrating a common commitment to urban sustainability.

We were also honored to highlight a remarkable group of honorees and award-winning projects whose contributions are shaping the next generation of sustainable urbanization and who embody CSU’s mission to connect design excellence with social and environmental responsibility:

• MaryAnne Gilmartin, Founder & CEO of MAG Partners, whose leadership in real estate development continues to redefine what responsible, human-centered urban growth can look like.
• Gina Bocra, Vice President at WSP, a visionary champion of high-performance, resilient buildings and climate-aligned design.
• Raina Maiga, climate advocate and CEO of Compleyes.ai, whose youth-led climate tech work reflects the intergenerational leadership that drives CSU’s mission.
• Women of Carbon, the award-winning documentary by Basia & Leonard Myszynski spotlighting women transforming construction, materials, and climate action.
• St. John’s Terminal (Google, Oxford Properties, COOKFOX and partners), an inspiring example of adaptive reuse at a transformative scale.
• 555 Greenwich (Hudson Square Properties / Trinity Church / Norges Bank / Hines), New York City’s first fully fossil-fuel-free commercial office tower.

We were deeply proud to present the Chair Lifetime Award to H.E. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, former Chair of the UN Global Alliance for ICT & Development, recognizing his decades of leadership and global impact. Accepting the award on his behalf was his daughter, Jumana Abu-Ghazaleh, whose moving remarks were among the evening’s standout moments.

The program featured an inspiring series of speeches, including powerful reflections from some of our awardees including: MaryAnne Gilmartin, Gina Bocra, Raina Maiga, and Basia Myszynski each delivering a unique perspective on leadership, equity, climate action, and the future of our cities. 

As we reflect on this incredible evening, we are inspired by the relationships strengthened, the ideas sparked, and the commitments renewed. These conversations will fuel our work in the coming year, from advancing equitable housing and resilient infrastructure to amplifying underrepresented voices and fostering innovation in climate-responsive design.

To all attendees, generous sponsors Grimshaw, HKS, JB&B, TAG Global, Perkins Eastman, Thornton Tomasetti, Turner Construction, WSP) , honourees, volunteers, and partners we thank you. Your generosity and engagement not only made this evening possible but also propelled the CSU forward into its next exciting chapter.

Let this year’s gala stand as both a celebration of what we have accomplished and a call to action for the generations to come.