Robert Eisenstat, FAIA is a nationally recognized architect, planner, and leader of transportation and infrastructure projects. His career spans over fifty years, beginning at distinguished private firms in San Francisco, New York, and Rio de Janeiro. He joined the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey as a staff architect in 1990, and over 32 years rose through the institution to become Chief Architect in 2013, a position he held until his retirement in 2022.
His achievements at the Port Authority include leading master planning for the new Port Authority Bus Terminal ($10 billion program), directing award-winning design efforts for the Newark Liberty International Airport Terminal B International Arrivals Facility, the Harrison PATH (Port Authority Trans-Hudson) commuter rail station, the George Washington Bridge Bus Station, and co-directing the post-9/11 downtown Manhattan transportation planning and architectural design of the temporary World Trade Center PATH (Port Authority Trans-Hudson) commuter rail station.
His individual honors include the 2022 AIA National Award for Excellence in Public Architecture and a 2012 AIA National Presidential Citation for World Trade Center Restoration.
Courses
Transportation as Catalyst: Creating Civic Value Through Infrastructure
What happens when a transportation project does more than move people? This course explores two case studies, the World Trade Center redevelopment in New York City and the Springfield Transportation Center in Illinois, to illustrate how complex transportation challenges can unlock broader urban value. Participants will learn how transportation planning drives development outcomes, influencing urban structure, architecture, and public space. Topics include coordinating diverse stakeholders, navigating layered funding, delivering long-duration projects, and keeping systems operational during construction. The session also highlights how multimodal hubs can become civic anchors that strengthen access, economic vitality, and community identity.