Streeteries Return to Philadelphia: Conversations with Councilmember Rue Landau and WXY Studio

After winning in 2023, Councilmember Rue Landau became the first openly LGBTQ+ member of Philadelphia’s City Council. A civil rights and housing attorney, she has spent her entire career fighting for social justice and equity for Philadelphia’s most vulnerable communities. Earlier in her career, Councilmember Landau led Philadelphia's civil rights and housing enforcement agencies, transforming them into national models for government and community engagement. As an at-large member of City Council, she serves all Philadelphians.

Jacob joined WXY in 2011 with experience in architectural design, urban design, ecology, and construction management. Jacob Dugopolski manages architecture and urban design projects for WXY with over ten years of experience with the firm. He has worked with multiple private developers and city agencies focusing on innovation in the design and planning of buildings, public spaces, and cities. Jacob leads WXY’s zoning and pre-construction work from master plan studies in Brooklyn to multi-family development in the Bronx. Jacob received his Master of Architecture degree from Yale University and Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Michigan. At Yale, he was the Project Manager for the Building Project and was chosen as the Parsons Award winner for excellence in urban design.

David Vega-Barachowitz joined WXY in 2019. He is a recognized leader in master planning, public realm design, mobility, and placemaking and has extensive experience working with cities and public sector clients. At WXY, David leads planning and urban design efforts including the Toledo Riverwalk, the Jacksonville Riverfront Activation Plan, the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE) Vision, the Downtown Davenport Master Plan, and the Meatpacking District Western Gateway Vision. David is the former Director of the Designing Cities Initiative at NACTO, where he spearheaded the production of NACTO’s Urban Street Design Guide and Urban Bikeway Design Guide. He also served as a Senior Urban Designer at the New York City Department of City Planning, where he launched the agency’s computational design practice and worked with NYCHA to create guidelines for infill development and neighborhood planning. David received a Master of City Planning from MIT and a Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies with Architecture from Columbia University.