Larisa Ortiz

Principal
Larisa Ortiz Associates
Jackson Heights, NY

Larisa Ortiz is a nationally recognized consultant, speaker, instructor and author in the field of commercial district revitalization. In June 2014, she was nominated by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio to serve on the City Planning Commission. She is also on the board of the International Downtown Association.

Since starting LOA in 2008, Larisa has developed retail and implementation strategies for over 100 districts worldwide. Larisa’s recent professional accomplishments include the design and execution of the City of New York’s capacity building programs in retail leasing and leadership programs for commercial district practitioners. She is the author of “Improving Tenant Mix: A Guide for Commercial District Practitioners” (ICSC, 2015), “Real Estate Redevelopment and Reuse” (IEDC, 2000) and is founder and editor of The Commercial District Advisor newsletter and blog.

Larisa teaches ""Downtown Economic Development"" at the Pratt Institute. Additionally, she is Co-Chair of the City of New York’s One New York Plan and sits on the Advisory Committee for the Regional Planning Association’s Fourth Regional Plan.

A Watson Fellow and Fulbright Scholar, Larisa holds a Master in City Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Bachelor with Honors from Wesleyan University.