Princeton Councilman David E. Cohen was born and raised in Rochester, New York. He attended public school for his primary and secondary education, earned his BA cum laude in Social Studies at Harvard College, and his Masters in Architecture from the University of Virginia. He moved with his young family to Princeton in 1987. His architectural career spanned 15 years at Michael Landau Associates PA, followed by 20 years as principal of his own firm, DEC Architect LLC. His practice has focused primarily on religious architecture, office interiors, and residential design, with an emphasis on sustainability.
Councilman Cohen started to become active in the local Democratic Party during the Presidential election campaign of 2004, quickly being invited to join the executive board of the Princeton Community Democratic Organization (PCDO) and becoming Treasurer and then President of the club. His volunteer municipal service began when he joined the Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee in about 2009, followed by service on the Regional Planning Board starting in 2013. He elected to run for Council in 2017, and won office unopposed in that campaign, beginning his service in 2018, and continuing until today.
His main areas of focus on Council have all centered one way or another around sustainability. Smart Growth development has informed his involvement on Sustainable Princeton’s Climate Action Plan Steering Committee, his continuing service on the Planning Board, and his central role in negotiating and implementing Princeton’s third round Affordable Housing settlement. A commitment to local resiliency has inspired his role on the Flood and Stormwater Committee, his engagement with the Infrastructure and Operations Committee, and his service on the Local Emergency Planning Committee. He continues to look for more ways, like becoming a member of the Leaders for Climate Accountability, to further his and the community’s sustainability goals.