Alumni

Antonio Mendoza

Antonio Mendoza received his Masters degree in City Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (2017), with a thesis focusing on crime displacement produced by public and private responses to violence and crime. In the past, he has worked as a teaching assistant on database management and GIS at MIT and as a researcher in projects on various topics that use spatial statistics, including health, transportation, land regulation and security, in Mexico and the United States.

Coral Hamo Goren

Coral Hamo Goren received her B.Arch. degree from the Bezalel Academy of Arts & Design (2016). She is currently studying for her M.A. in Urban Studies, and has joined the Laboratory for Contemporary Urban Design (LCUD) in 2017.  Her main point of interest is the future of cities, in an age of rising violence and increased population density.

David Kambo

Yulia Furshik

Yulia Furshik received her B.A in Philosophy and Biology (2016) from Tel Aviv University. She is doing an M.A. in Urban Studies. Yulia joined the Laboratory for Contemporary Urban Design (LCUD) in 2016. Beforehand she has been working for several years in the field of Informal Education, namely in BINA – Center for Jewish Identity and Hebrew Culture and the Bronfman Youth Fellowship in Israel.

Miryam Wijler

Miryam Wijler received her M.A in philosophy (2017, Summa Cum Laude). Her M.A thesis analyzed  Marxian concepts of society, and used this analysis to examine the changing characteristics of socio-natural categories under different social forms. She is an alumna of the Adi Lautman Interdisciplinary Program for Outstanding Students. Miryam worked as an assistant to the editor of the Israeli academic journal Theory and Criticism (2010-2013), and as a teaching assistant in the philosophy department in Tel Aviv university (2012-2016). She was part of the LCUD team between 2009-2010 as a research assistant to Dr. Tali Hatuka and re-joined the laboratory in 2018. She was the project coordinator of a research studying protest and dissent in the city.

Sunny Menozzi

Sunny Menozzi Peterson received her Masters in City Planning (2015) from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where her thesis focused on the adaptive reuse of heavy industrial sites. She has worked on projects in the United States, India, and Singapore, and her professional interests include historic preservation, adaptive reuse of industrial and military sites, and the intersection of health, aging, and urban design.

Michael Pearce

Michael Pearce received his BA in Architecture from Yale University (2009) and his Master in City Planning from MIT (2019). He focuses on how we can use technology to improve and better understand our cities.

Roni Bar

Received her B.Arch (2006, Cum Laude) and MA (2011, Cum Laude) from Tel Aviv University. She has worked as an architect until 2009 when she joined the Laboratory for Contemporary Urban Design (LCUD). Her Master’s thesis focused on planning and lifestyle in new residential environments. Currently, she is a PhD candidate, investigating the role of risk and uncertainty in urban planning processes and spatial practices, focusing on the case of Jerusalem.

Yonatan Gat

Yonatan is a third year honors BA student in Tel Aviv University studying geography and political science. Yonatan joined the Laboratory for Contemporary Urban Design (LCUD) in 2014 and is currently involved in a research project investigating spatial patterns in landscape design in Israel.

Merav Battat

received her B.Arch degree from Bezlel Academy of Arts and Design (2009). She has worked as an architect until 2011, when she received an Azrieli fellowship and joined the Laboratory for Contemporary Urban Design (LCUD). Her Master’s thesis, entitled “Contemporary Urbanization Processes in Israel”, focuses on urbanization patterns in three Israeli cities.

Rachel Bickel

received her B.A. in cultural anthropology from Mount Holyoke College (2007). She joined the Laboratory for Contemporary Urban Design (LCUD) as a research assistant to Dr. Tali Hatuka 2010. Her main interests concern the intersection between aethetics and ethnography and the use of non-fiction media to explore the built world and social environments within it.

Devin Glowinski

received his B.Arts degree in Urban Systems and Political Science from McGill University, Canada (2004). He completed his M.Arts in Town and Regional Planning from the University of Sheffield, UK (2005). Devin works on developing sustainable approaches to transportation planning and has previously worked on a city centre regeneration project in Toronto. Devin has practiced urban planning at the Ontario Ministry of Transportation, Canada, since 2008.

Jessica Fain

received her Master in City Planning from MIT (2011), where she focused on city design and development. She previously worked for the New York City Design Commission. She is specifically interested in public art and artist spaces, environmental remediation and equitable urban planning practice.

Assaf Frances

is an honors BA student in Tel Aviv university studying Political Science and Geography with an emphasis on city planning and an interest in the effect of politics and society on urbanism and architecture. A member of the Merchav movement for Israeli urbanism since 2009. Joined the laboratory for contemporary urban design (LCUD) in 2010 and is currently starting a research project on urban parks near the Tel Aviv sea shore.

Hallel Elnir

is a honors BA student in Tel Aviv University studying geography and political science. Hallel joined the Laboratory for Contemporary Urban Design (LCUD) in 2013 and is currently involved in a research project on design codes in Mediterranean climate, examining urban parks near the Tel Aviv sea shore.

Carmel Hanany

Shelly Hefetz

received her BA degree from the Department of Geography and Human Environment at Tel Aviv University (2013). She joined the Laboratory for Contemporary Urban Design (LCUD) in 2012 where she was involved in a comparative research project examining and analyzing industrial areas throughout Israel.

Michael Jacobson

received his B.Arch. degree from the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design (2006). Currently, he works as an urban planner at FSJ Architects & Urban Planners firm. Michael joined the Laboratory for Contemporary Urban Design (LCUD) in 2009. His Master’s thesis, entitled “The Future Development of Urban Centers in New Towns”, investigates planning, conflicts and public space in new cities.

Priyanka Kapoor

received her B.Arch degree from the School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi (2006), after which she worked as an Architect in Singapore for 2 years. In 2008 she joined the S.M.Arch.S. Architecture + Urbanism program at MIT. She is interested in using urban design as a tool to understand social, ecological and economic issues. During the summer of 2010 she joined LCUD as a summer research fellow.

Inbal Keidar

received her B.Arch (2010) from Tel Aviv University. Currently she is doing an M.A. in Urban Studies. Inbal joined the Laboratory for Contemporary Urban Design (LCUD) in 2015 and was involved in planing N.O.A.M industrial site.

Hila Lothan

received her B.arch degree from the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design (2009). Hila joined the laboratory for contemporary Urban Design in 2011. Her Master’s thesis, entitled “Patterns if Segregation and Integration: Towards Developing a New Residential Model”, investigates social conflicts, planning policies and housing developments in divided cities.

Nathan Prevendar

received his B.Arch degree (Cum Laude) from University of Southern California (2006). In 2009 he joined the S.M.Arch.S. Architecture + Urbanism program at MIT. Interests include research about reclamation of industrial zones in the urban fabric, conflict space, and the combination of musical theory and spatial analysis. During the summer of 2010 he joined the Laboratory for Contemporary Urban Design (LCUD) as a summer research fellow.

Hen Roznek

Hen received her B.A. (2010, magna cum laude) from The Marc Rich Honors Program in Humanities and Arts at Tel Aviv University. She worked until 2013 as a journalist in some of Israel’s leading media outlets, after-which she joined the Laboratory for Contemporary Urban Design (LCUD) as deputy editor of the lab’s blog, “Urbanologia”. Currently she is doing an M.A. in Urban Studies. Her research explores the various interfaces and relationships between adjacent cities within the Tel Aviv metropolitan area.

Christopher Rhie

is a dual degree student at MIT, studying city planning and real estate development. He is a former energy manager with a background in political science. Christopher joined LCUD in summer 2012 to research industrial urbanism as a potential redevelopment strategy in new towns.

Alexis Wheeler

received her B.Arch and B.S. in Building Sciences from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (2002) after which she spent nine years practicing architecture in Seattle on projects ranging from large-scale international mixed use to domestic affordable housing. Currently a graduate candidate for a Master in City Planning and beginning a Master of Science in Real Estate Development in the Department of Urban Studies and Planning at MIT, Alexis is a visiting scholar in the lab conducting research into prototypical strategies for the retrofitting of New Towns.

Miryam Wijler

has been a student of the Adi Lautman Interdisciplinary Program for Outstanding Students since October 2008. Her main interests are philosophy, sociology and arts, with an emphasis on spatial and visual acts and definitions. In 2009, Miryam joined the Laboratory for Contemporary Urban Design (LCUD) as a research assistant to Dr. Tali Hatuka.

Yoav Zilberdik

received his B.Arch. degree from the Bezalel Academy of Arts and design (2009), and currently works as an architect. Yoav joined the Laboratory for Contemporary Urban design (LCUD) in 2012 and is particularly interested in the relations between social issues, urbanism and architecture.His Master’s thesis, entitled “Aggression and Alienation in Cities”, focuses on spatial appropriation and planning regulation.