S3_DESTRUCTIVE_INTERVENTIONS — James Piacentini

Master of Architecture
Columbia University GSAPP
May 2020

Master of Science in Urban Planning
Columbia University GSAPP
May 2020

Bachelor of Arts in Architecture
UC Berkeley
May 2014

EXPERIENCE

Senior Map Designer
Mapbox
Jun 2024 - Present

Adjunct Assistant Professor
Columbia University GSAPP
Sep 2023 - Present

Product Manager, Digital Service
NYC Department of City Planning
Jan 2022 - Jun 2024

Fellow: Civic Leadership Program
AIA New York | CFA
Jun 2022 - Dec 2022

Cartographer / Data Analyst
Apple
Oct 2020 - Oct 2021

Design Manager
Lincoln Center
Mar 2019 - Mar 2020

University Senator
Columbia University
Sep 2017 - May 2019

Architecture Intern
Montroy DeMarco Architecture
Jun 2018 - Aug 2018

Design & Visualization Fellow
MKThink
Jun 2017 - Aug 2017

Research Assistant to Professor Leah Meisterlin
Columbia University GSAPP
Mar 2017 - Aug 2017

Fulbright Researcher
Academic Contributor
La Sapienza University, Rome
Oct 2015 - Jun 2016

PUBLICATIONS

BLOG POSTS & ARTICLES

“Biking in NYC Now: CLP Explores Future of Biking Infrastructure in NYC”
Majekodunmi, I., Nalavade, A., Provine, H., Piacentini, J., Sherburne, B.
AIA NY - 2022

“Inside Out: CLP Explores Models for Community Engagement”
Piacentini, J., Savvides, N.
AIA NY - 2022

“Somewhere under Somewhere, Somewhere in the City”
Piacentini, J.
URBAN Magazine - 2016

EXHIBITIONS & DESIGN WORK

“Distorted_Cities”
Piacentini, J.
fifteen group show - 2025

Selected Architecture drawings
Piacentini, J.
Columbia GSAPP ABSTRACT - 2021

Selected Architecture drawings
Piacentini, J.
Columbia GSAPP ABSTRACT - 2020

“Hacer Vieques” in New Paradigms for a Resilient Vieques
Piacentini, J.

UDL, Earth Institute - 2019

Selected Architecture drawings
Piacentini, J.
Columbia GSAPP ABSTRACT - 2019

Selected Urban Planning drawings
Piacentini, J.
Columbia GSAPP ABSTRACT - 2018

“Praça Pedregulho” in Design Thinking for Healthy Urban Environments: A Case Study of the Social Housing Project: Pedregulho
Piacentini, J., Indrakesuma, F.
Columbia GSAPP - 2017

LECTURES & PRESENTATIONS

“Mapping NYC: Intersessions”
Piacentini, J.
The Dalton School - 2026

“Advanced map style customization in Mapbox Studio“
Piacentini, J.
BUILD with Mapbox - 2025

“The ArchiTECH: The Equitable Development Data Explorer”
Piacentini, J.
AIA NY CLP - 2023

“The Equitable Development Data Explorer”
Piacentini, J., Matteo, T., Shen, W.
NYC School of Data - 2023

“Biking in NYC Now: CLP Explores Future of Biking Infrastructure in NYC”
Majekodunmi, I., Nalavade, A., Provine, H., Piacentini, J., Sherburne, B.
AIA NY CLP - 2022

“TREE.3”
Piacentini, J., Pietraszkiewicz, E.
GSAPP Incubator - 2021

“Riace Rinasce” John Belle Travel Fellowship Lecture
Piacentini, J.
Beyer Blinder Belle - 2019

“Hacer Vieques” Public Design Presentation
Piacentini, J.
Isabel Segundo City Hall - 2019

CONFERENCE PAPERS/PRESENTATIONS

“Thirdplaces.nyc”
Piacentini, J.
Poster at: OpenStreetMap State of the Map US - 2026

“The Equitable Development Data Explorer”
Piacentini, J.
Abstract at: Spatial Justice in Practice Symposium - 2023

“Rome: Past, Present, Future”
Piacentini, J.
Poster at: The Fulbright National Conference - 2017

“Blogging as a Tool for Advocacy Planning”
Piacentini, J.
Paper at: 18th N-AERUS Conference - 2017

“Rome: Eternal City or Evolving Metropolis?”
Piacentini, J.
Poster at: The APA National Planning Conference - 2017

JOURNAL PAPERS

“The Building Environment: A Brief Study of Architecture’s Influences on Human Survival”
Piacentini, J.
Berkeley Undergraduate Journal, Vol. 27, Issue 1 - 2014

AWARDS

Narrative Community Map Award
OpenStreetMap US
June 2026

Civic Leadership Fellowship
AIA New York | CFA
May 2022

Incubator Prize ($10,000)
Columbia University GSAPP
Oct 2020

Visualization Prize ($1,000)
Columbia University GSAPP
May 2020

William Kinne Prize ($2,500)
Columbia University GSAPP
May 2020

Finalist - Student Photo Contest
Hahnemühle FineArt
Jul 2019

John Belle Fellowship ($10,000)
Beyer Blinder Belle
Mar 2019

2nd Place - Poster Competition
American Planning Association
May 2017

Fulbright Scholarship ($18,000)
U.S. Department of State
May 2015

PRESS

OSM / Esri
“State of the Map US Narrative Map Competition”
June 15, 2026

AIA NY
“The ArchiTECH: Who Are The New Designers?”
by Ivan Himanen, Tiana Howell
Oct 11, 2023

The Best New Architects
“Criss-Cross City”
Dec 7, 2020

Columbia Climate School
“13 Proposals to Boost Resilience in Vieques, Puerto Rico”
by Sarah Fecht
Dec 6, 2019

Beyer Blinder Belle
“2019 John Belle Travel Fellowship - Riace Reborn”
Nov 4, 2019

Columbia Climate School
“Building Resilience in Vieques, Puerto Rico”
Sep 9, 2019

Radio Vieques
“Robert Rabin Seigel Interviews GSAPP Designers on Rebuilding Vieques Post-Maria”
Mar 12, 2019

2.1 - Mapping militarization in occupied Jawlan

2.3 - Topographic raster analysis of the Jawlan

2.4 - Hydrological and geological analysis of the Jawlan

2.5 - In 1967, over 200 villages and farms were destroyed to make way for Israeli settlements in the Jawlan

2.6 - Popular ‘visited’ sites and their spatial relationship to artificially censored images

2.7 - Analysis led to the selection of three key sites for further analysis on-site: Ya’ar Odem, Ein Fit, and Za’ura

2.8 - Ya’ar Odem, formerly the A’rab El Hesh and Al Sahtiyah farms, is now a ‘nature reserve’

2.2 - A woman prays in the ruins of her childhood mosque

2.9 - This artifical demarcation creates a political border preventing Syrians from return to their destroyed homes

2.11 - Ein Fit (’beautiful spring’), a former town of 2,000 people remains in a state of preserved ruination

2.12 - The wall of the former elementary school in Ein Fit, riddled with IDF bullets

2.13 - The ruins are left to undermine Syrian legitimacy to the area

2.16 - Za’ura, a neighboring town of 1,500 that is now used for military training exercises

2.18 - Online imagery is censored to hide the extent of military intervention on-site

2.19 - Where once stood homes now stand military training bunkers and debris

S3. DESTRUCTIVE_INTERVENTIONS

The occupied Syrian Jawlan, or Golan was once home to hundreds of Syrian villages and farms. Since 1967, Israeli military intervention has expelled over 95% of the Syrian population. This project investigates military violence in region across three consecutive scales of order at three sites: Excavation at Ya’ar Odem, Ruination in Ein Fit, and Appropriation in Za’ura.