Keiko Okai-Yabe

Urban Designer

Keiko Yabe is an Urban Designer specializing in resilience planning, GIS analysis, mapping, and human-centric public space design. With a background in engineering, she combines rigorous technical analysis with intuitive graphics and experiential streetscape design. Keiko currently manages Starr Whitehouse’s urban design efforts for NYC DOT’s North Brooklyn Pedestrian Safety and Public Space Improvement Project, coordinating with the City’s engineering team and developing plaza design documentation. For NYC EDC’s Citywide Greenways Expansion Plan, she is contributing urban design analysis and creating systemwide design standards. On Coney Island, she is developing mapping, risk analysis, and urban design studies for the Waterfront Alliance’s Coney Island Creek Resilience Project. Past projects include a wayfinding and signage plan for Niagara Falls State Park and bid set management on the City of Hudson’s Public Square Park renovation. Keiko holds a Master’s in City Planning and an Urban Design Certificate from MIT and Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Civil Engineering from the University of Tokyo, where she developed a strong interest in equity, resiliency, and community-focused design.

Representative Projects:

Streets, Public Realm, and Infrastructure
Garment District Broadway Plazas, New York, NY
North Brooklyn Pedestrian Safety and Public Space Improvements, Brooklyn, NY
Citywide Greenways Expansion Plan, New York, NY
Niagara Falls Signage and Wayfinding Plan, Niagara Falls, NY
Public Square Park Renovation Bid Documents, Hudson, NY
The Linc Highway-to-Park Conversion, New Rochelle, NY
Walkable KOBE Vision Plan, Hyogo, Japan*
Sankita Streetscape and Plaza, Kobe-Sannomiya Station, Hyogo, Japan*
Streetscape Design, Izumo Taisha Shrine, Shimane, Japan*
Yanagawa Station Canal Square, Fukuoka, Japan*
Matsuyama City Station Square Concept Design, Ehime, Japan*

Climate Resilience Planning
Coney Island Creek Resilience Study, Brooklyn, NY
Pelham Bay Park Access and Resilience Study, Bronx, NY
Site Plans + Housing
Lecount Place High Rise, New Rochelle, NY
Greenpoint Hospital Building 2, Brooklyn, NY
Fulton Park, Brooklyn, NY

Park Design
Wolfe’s Pond Park Playground, Staten Island, NY

*Work completed prior to joining Starr Whitehouse