Nadia Ortiz

Licensed architect and urban planner who spent 10 years at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill designing skyscrapers before pivoting to affordable housing. Grew up in a colonia outside El Paso without paved roads — that experience drives everything she designs now. Led the masterplan for a 5,000-unit mixed-income development in Medellín that won an AIA Honor Award. Writes about why cities look the way they do, how zoning laws create inequality, and what good public space actually requires. Known for a viral essay arguing that parking lots are the biggest design failure in American history. Based in Chicago, teaches a studio at IIT, and will argue about setback requirements until you leave the room.