David Quart, AICP, serves as the Northeast Regional Real Estate Market Leader at VHB, a national planning, design, and engineering firm with clients in diverse sectors, including real estate, institutions, transportation, local government, and energy. In his role, David spearheads the expansion of VHB’s integrated real estate services practice throughout the New York metropolitan area, in support of new development, redevelopment, land acquisition, permitting compliance, and transportation and infrastructure improvements. Among other projects, he is involved in fostering the development of affordable and mixed-income housing with some of the region’s leading developers and partner agencies.
Previously, David spent nearly 14 years in NYC government, most recently as the Deputy Commissioner for Strategy, Research, and Communications, and Chief of Staff to the Commissioner at the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development. David helped to create the Housing New York plan and was instrumental in the design and approvals of the City’s Mandatory Inclusionary Housing program. In addition, he helped launch the planning process which led to the release of New York City’s Where We Live NYC Plan, the City’s blueprint to break down barriers to opportunity and to build more inclusive and equitable neighborhoods.
In his former role as Senior Vice President of Development at the NYC Economic Development Corporation, David delivered transformational projects that strengthened the city’s affordable housing stock and central business districts and enhanced public waterfront access. He was instrumental in the success of community engagement, public approvals, developer selection, and implementation of the Essex Crossing project on the Lower East Side. Furthermore, he led the design and engineering teams for the East Midtown Esplanade and the East River Esplanade and Piers project that created and improved waterfront access from the Battery to the Lower East Side.
David serves on ULI New York’s Affordable Housing Product Council, TAP Steering Committee, and the Excellence in Development Awards Jury. He is on the Board of Directors for the Regional Plan Association and is an active member of the New York State Association for Affordable Housing. In addition, he is an adjunct professor at NYU-Wagner Graduate School of Public Service where he teaches Urban Economics. David holds a BS in Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania and a Master of Urban Planning from NYU Wagner.
