Shin-Pei Tsay

Prior to joining Gehl Institute in July 2016, Shin-pei was the Deputy Executive Director of TransitCenter, a national foundation focused on improving urban transportation in collaboration. As the second person hired, she contributed to growing the organization, led initiatives in strategic, research, and program development, managed transportation and technology program activities, and provided program, operational, and staff oversight. Today TransitCenter is a leading voice for transportation issues in cities with programs carried out by a 12-person staff.

Shin-pei founded and directed the Cities and Transportation Program under the Energy and Climate Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where she explored demand-side policies to mitigate climate change, and led a project with Senator Bill Bradley and Secretary Tom Ridge to reform and fund the federal transportation program. As Deputy Director of Transportation Alternatives, Shin-pei developed programs that expanded community participation in bicycle and pedestrian advocacy and forged connections with professionals in the public health and design fields. Her efforts led to New York City adopting the Safe Streets for Seniors program, a Play Streets program, as well as recognition by Active Living Research and the Centers for Disease Control. Shin-pei also served as the Chief Operating Officer of Project for Public Spaces, and was a founding member of the New York City office for ZGF Architects.

In 2010, she co-founded and directed Planning Corps, an organization that matches urban planners with neighborhood-based projects, whose work was selected for the U.S. Pavilion at the 2012 Venice Biennale for Architecture.

Shin-pei is currently a Commissioner for the City of New York Public Design Commission and serves on the Board of Directors for Transportation Alternatives and In Our Backyard. She received a Bachelor of Arts with distinction from Cornell University and a Master of Science in City, Space and Society from the London School of Economics and Political Science.