Former AN editor, Anne Guiney, has been named executive director of The Institute for Urban Design, the organization dedicated to fomenting debate about urban planning and development policy. With longtime experience as a magazine editor including stints at Metropolis and Architecture magazines, Guiney was part of the original team of editors at The Architect’s Newspaper, making sure that urban planning received as much coverage as architecture and design. 

Guiney replaces Olympia Kazi, who was made executive director of The Van Alen Institute last month. With a $150,000 grant from the Rockefeller Foundation in hand, Guiney will be focusing on the organization of a new public forum scheduled for Spring 2011 called, Urban Design Week, among other initiatives.

In the announcement released today noting that Guiney is now at her new post, Michael Sorkin, president of the institute’s board of directors, wrote: “Anne Guiney is a remarkable journalist, urbanist, and organizer. We feel extremely fortunate that she will lead our efforts going forward.”

Knowing the energy, ambition, and keen understanding of complex policy issues that both Guiney and Kazi will be bringing to their new posts, friends and former colleagues are anticipating a great leap forward in how we all talk about the city.