Forefront Fellowship is Urban Design Forum’s annual leadership-development action lab for emerging urbanists. The 2026 cycle, Living Routes, brings fellows together in New York City to study the care of green streets and public spaces.
Across a foundation phase, a partnership with the NYC Department of Transportation, and independent team proposals, fellows conduct research, visit sites, interview practitioners, and develop practical ideas for the city. The latest published cycle runs in person for nine months and totals 84 scheduled hours, plus about four additional hours of work per week.
Benefits & funding
- Fellows receive a tailored leadership curriculum, peer mentoring, interdisciplinary collaboration, and access to Urban Design Forum’s professional network and events.
- The program provides project experience through research with NYC DOT and independent team proposals.
- Accepted fellows are asked to become dues-paying Urban Design Forum members at $350 per year; a sliding scale is available, and the organizer states that lack of funds will not exclude an accepted fellow.
- No stipend, salary, grant, or expense reimbursement is stated.
Eligibility
- Applicants must live or work in one of New York City’s five boroughs for the duration of the fellowship.
- The program welcomes emerging urbanists across architecture, landscape architecture, organizing, planning, engineering, development, public service, data science, law, scholarship, journalism, and related disciplines.
- Five to ten years of work experience describes the typical fellow but is not stated as a mandatory minimum or maximum.
- The 2026 theme particularly welcomed interest in environmental justice, community-driven design and planning, public-space design, and maintenance design.
- No degree, nationality, gender, or age requirement is published.
Can you apply?
Open to all applicants
No nationality, residency, education, or experience limits are listed.
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Application process
- 1Review the annual theme, calendar, attendance rules, and in-person commitment.
- 2Submit a resume or CV through the online application form.
- 3Provide three responses of no more than 200 words each on joyful leadership, roles in teams or communities, leadership growth, and how Forefront could support more equitable change in the applicant’s workplace, neighborhood, and New York City.
- 4Optionally arrange a nominating letter of no more than 500 words from a supervisor, department head, mentor, or current Forum member.
- 5Submit by the published deadline; applications for the 2026 cycle are closed.
Program timeline
2026 application released
Oct 23, 2025
Information session
Nov 10, 2025
Application deadline at 11:59 p.m.
Dec 7, 2025
Results notification
Jan 7, 2026
Orientation and program start
Feb 7, 2026
Full-day retreat
May 30, 2026
Capstone and program end
Nov 12, 2026