High Level Advisory Board

Founder & Executive Director, The Nature of Cities, David Maddox is committed to the health of the urban ecosystem—urban resilience, the application of ecosystem services for human welfare and livelihoods, and the effective and efficient monitoring and evaluation of these issues. He has worked for The Nature Conservancy, the Maryland State government, the City of New York, in non-profits, and as a consultant. As Founder and Executive Director of TheNatureOfCities.com, his current work is in the development and dissemination of useful knowledge for design and management of social-ecological systems in urban landscapes. He holds a PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, with a statistics minor, from Cornell University. David is an award-winning playwright, musician, and composer. He lives in New York City.

While Karen's early research work looked at developing landscape assessment methodologies as effective research interests lie in the area of landscape change, landscape preference, stakeholder engagement and urban resilience planning tools, she later focussed on the vernacular Irish landscape, examining landscape preference, drivers of landscape change and exploring scenario-based tools to engage with a range of stakeholders. More recent research centres on urban open space, identifying tools and techniques to develop robust multifunctional landscape typologies in cities that satisfy social and environmental needs. Specifically she is working in the area of green infrastructure, urban forestry and transitory open space. Karen was one of the lead instigators of TURAS, an EU funded FP7 research project bringing together urban communities and businesses along with local authorities and researchers to collaborate on practical new solutions for more sustainable and resilient European cities. Previous funded research work has included the co-ordination of a joint Welsh/Irish INTERREG research project with Brady Shipman Martin (Dublin) and the Countryside Council for Wales. This study developed a methodology for seascape assessment in order to integrate the issues of landscape/seascape conservation into the development process. This work was set against the background of increasing development pressure along the coastline with the development of offshore wind farms and mariculture enterprises. The resulting 2001 publication Guide to best practice in Seascape Assessment for the Marine Institute remains a key reference for professionals working in the area of landscape planning and coastal zone management.

Jennifer Senick is Executive Director and Founder of the Rutgers University Center for Green Building at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Urban Planning and Public Policy in New Jersey, USA.   The Rutgers Center for Green Building promotes sustainable and healthy environments through research, education and training, and partnerships with industry, government and not-for-profit agencies.  Senick’s areas of expertise include sustainable development, energy policy, healthy communities and green building.  Her research has been supported by the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Housing and Urban Development Agency, U.S. Green Building Council and the American Planning Association.  Senick currently leads the Center’s work as statewide evaluator of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities Clean Energy Program, and recently led the completion of the New Jersey Green Building Manual v2, an updated green and resilient building resource for the State of New Jersey’s Department of Community Affairs.  She is co-chair of the Sustainable Planning Design and Behavior Knowledge Network, Environmental Design Research Association (EDRA), Coordinator of Global Health Initiatives, American Planning Association International Division and an appointed member of the Mayor’s Digital Task Force Committee (Highland Park, NJ), which develops and implements citizen-government communication initiatives enabling real-time public records data access and reporting of community conditions.   Senick regularly provides educational presentations/trainings and has produced a number of media pieces including NJN Green Builders: A Green Revolution Takes Root in the Garden State (c2008) and an interview brief for the Think Nature platform – ThinkNature Project (Horizon 2020 EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation).  Senick earned a PhD in Urban Planning and Public Policy from Rutgers University, an MA in Political Science from the University of California, Los Angeles, and an AB in Government and Russian from Bowdoin College.