Coby Lefkowitz

Coby Lefkowitz is an urbanist, real estate developer, writer, and consultant based in New York.
In 2021, he co-founded Backyard, a real estate development company specializing in infill projects aimed at creating new affordable housing through tailored implementation and popular aesthetics. Primarily active in San Diego and Southern California, Backyard currently has 19 housing units in development across three projects, ranging from 3 to 12 units.

Beyond his own projects, Coby supports developers worldwide—whether small-scale individual constructions (ADUs, houses, duplexes) or entire neighborhoods spanning thousands of square meters—by engaging in every stage of the process: vision, financial analysis, design, programming, and site development.

He is the author of the book Building Optimism, published in 2024, where he shares his vision of urbanism focused on beauty, density, and conviviality. He has also published numerous articles online in high-quality media outlets such as Works in Progress, Common Edge, and Noema.