The Rockefeller Foundation awarded the 2008 Jane Jacobs Medal for Lifetime Leadership to Peggy Shepard, executive director and co-founder of West Harlem Environmental Action, and the 2008 Medal for New Ideas and Activism to Alexie Torres-Fleming, founder of Youth Ministries for Peace and Justice…

Edith Hsu-Chen has been appointed as Director of City Planning’s Manhattan Office, succeeding Ray Gastil, who is now Seattle’s Planning Director… Frederick Bland, FAIA, a managing partner at Beyer Blinder Belle, has been appointed to the Landmarks Preservation Commission, replacing Jan Pokorny, the former commission chair who passed away in May… non-profit Architecture Omi has named Lee H. Skolnick, FAIA, as its first chairman of the board…

Zetlin & De Chiara was named the top regional construction law firm by Legal 500, and Michael De Chiara was selected as one of the five leading construction litigators in the country…

The Seagram’s Building is celebrating its 50th anniversary. Happy Birthday!