Urban Studies & Planning Process Speaker Series
Hosted by Professor Ariel Bierbaum and her URSP604 Planning Process Class
Tuesday, February 21 | 4:30-5:30 pm
In-person Knight Hall room 1206 (space is limited) and Zoom
Navigating Politics, Power, and Bureaucracy from the Inside
GWEN WRIGHT, former planning director Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission,
Montgomery County, MD
From July 2013 to October 2022, Gwen Wright was the Director of the Montgomery County Planning Department of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission. In this role, Ms. Wright oversaw a wide range of projects that aimed to improve the quality of life in Montgomery County by conserving and enhancing the natural and built environment. Montgomery County is one of the largest jurisdictions in Maryland with over 1 million residents and has a key role in the dynamic Washington D.C. metropolitan growth area. Ms. Wright also worked for the Montgomery County Planning Department from 1987 to 2008. During this period, she served as the Chief of Countywide Planning, including supervising the Environmental Planning, Transportation Planning and Historic Preservation Sections, as well as serving as Acting Planning Director.
Prior to her appointment as the Montgomery County Planning Director in 2013, Ms. Wright was Chief of the Development Division for the City of Alexandria Department of Planning and Zoning for five years. In this position, she reviewed development proposals throughout the City of Alexandria and shepherded a wide variety of projects – from urban infill to major brownfields reclamation – through the regulatory process and implementation.
Ms. Wright began her career in Texas as the Director of Architectural Design and Redevelopment for the Galveston Historical Foundation in Galveston, Texas. She has degrees in Architecture and Architectural History from Yale University and has spoken at numerous national and regional conferences on a wide variety of planning issues.
Ms. Wright is a graduate of ULI Washington’s Regional Leadership Institute and currently serves on the ULI Washington Advisory Board. She also serves on the University of Maryland’s Urban Studies and Planning Program Advisory Board. Ms. Wright is the recipient of the Potomac Valley Chapter of the AIA’s Kea Award for Architectural Advocacy and the National Capital Area Chapter of the APA’s Frederick Gutheim Award for Planning Leadership.
Tuesday, February 28 | 5-6 pm
Talking about the Housing Crisis: Confronting Emotions and Communicating Strategically
LEAH GOODRIDGE, New York City Planning Commissioner and Managing Attorney for Housing Policy,
Mobilization for Justice, Inc., NYC, NY
BIOGRAPHY:
Leah Goodridge is a Commissioner on the New York City Planning Commission. She is also the Managing Attorney for Housing Policy at Mobilization for Justice, where she oversees a team which provides legal representation to tenants in eviction proceedings. Leah also served on the New York City Rent Guidelines Board for three years and advocated for affordable rent. Prior to becoming a housing rights attorney, Leah established the Community Economic Development Project at Medgar Evers College (City University of New York) which taught local residents to launch and sustain nonprofits and small businesses in communities of color. For her work there, she was awarded the prestigious Fulbright Specialist grant and led a three-week presentation series at the University of Malta. Leah is a frequent keynote speaker on housing justice at universities around the world including New York University, McGill University Faculty of Law and Duke University. Her honors and accolades include the 2019 New York County Lawyers Association Public Service Award, 2018 New York Nonprofit Media 40 under 40 Rising Star award, and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund Earl Warren Scholarship.
Tuesday, March 14 | 4-5 pm
Designing for Accessibility
L. DARA BALDWIN, MPA, Director of National Policy for the Center for Disability Rights, Inc.,
Washington, DC
Biography
L. Dara Baldwin, MPA (@NJDC07) is the Director of National Policy for the Center for Disability Rights and works on policy issues that include transportation, housing, and community development. Ms. Baldwin has worked in federal policy for over 15 years, leading multiple policy campaigns that have resulted in the passage of laws. She serves on a number of boards including the steering committee for the Campaign for Housing and Community Development (CHCDF), the Board of Directors for the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) and as a Co-Chair of the Transportation Equity Caucus. She anchors her work in ending systems of oppression through ending racism and creating a new world order. She lives in Washington, DC and is a staunch advocate for DC Statehood.
Tuesday, April 4 | 4-5 pm
Centering Community and Leveraging Philanthropy in Stockton, California
ALLISON ALBEE, Co-Founder Groundworks Consulting, Oakland, CA
JAIRUS MATTHEWS, Manager, Embers Project, Edge Collaborative, Stockton, CA
Biographies
Allison Allbee, Co-Founder, Ground Works Consulting. Allison works with practitioners to develop strategies promoting self-determination and shared prosperity. A dedicated collaborator, Allison advances housing, climate, and economic justice initiatives as a strategist, facilitator, and researcher. Before founding Ground Works Consulting, Allison co-directed the Healthy Neighborhoods team at ChangeLab Solutions, and oversaw the organization’s health and housing practice. Allison was a Fulcrum Fellow and Field Catalyst at the Center for Community Investment. She earned a B.A. in community studies and masters degrees in building science and city and regional planning from UC Berkeley.
Jairius Matthews serves as the Manager of the Embers Project (an initiative incubated by the Edge Collaborative). In her current role, she activates local community leaders to vision and plan new inclusive economic development projects, and connects them to resources and support to make those visions come to life. Her previous role as a Communications Associate for Stockton Strong inspired her to use her communications background to connect local Stockton residents to essential resources during the COVID-19 pandemic. Her experience as a College Possible Success Coach at Stanislaus State sharpened her ability to align low-income, first generation college students with services and support based on their unique needs and backgrounds. Her passion for service and community building was honored locally as a recipient of the 2020 Dawn Malabon Civic Leadership Award. She is a proud alumni of Stanislaus State, where she received a BA in Communication Studies.
Tuesday, April 11 | 4-5 pm
Community Arts as an Organizing Tool Against Gentrification and Displacement
RODNEY CAMARACE, Engagement Coordinator, Asian Arts Initiative, Philadelphia, PA
Biography
Rodney returns to the Asian Arts Initiative after serving multiple arts organizations throughout Philadelphia as a visual artist, a facilitator, the Youth Development Manager for the Mural Arts Program and a graphic recorder for the Bartol Foundation, Lenfest Foundation, and Ground Work USA. He has served as a Co-Ambassador for the Racial Equity Network for the National Guild for Community Arts, has been a Community Organizer in South Philadelphia and the International District in Seattle, works to build solidarity among all people in struggle, believes that we must subvert this cultural genocide by any means necessary, and practice radical optimism to imagine new possibilities.
Tuesday, April 18 | 5-6 pm
The Role of Planning in Economic Liberation
SOLANA RICE, Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director, Liberation in a Generation
Biography
Solana Rice was raised by a Black, midwestern family that made tremendous emotional and physical sacrifices to get by. Dedicated autoworkers, food & retail workers, entrepreneurs; her family gifted Solana with a tremendous work ethic and a passion for making the world a better place for people of color. Solana is a dedicated advocate aiming to shape the most vibrant, inclusive, and sustainable economy this country has yet to see. Prior to starting Liberation in a Generation, Solana was Director of State & Local Policy at Prosperity Now where, under her leadership, she built strong advocacy partnerships with organizations in the field and advanced dozens of policies in nearly half the states in the nation. Prior to joining Prosperity Now, Solana served as a director for financial security initiatives at PolicyLink. Solana has a Master’s in City Planning from MIT, where she researched the integration of individual development accounts into community development services. She holds a B.A. in architecture from Washington University in St. Louis. Solana is also a Soros Equality Fellow.
Tuesday, April 25 | 4-5:30 pm (rain date Tuesday, May 2)
In-person at the Charles Koiner Farm, 737 Easley St, Silver Spring, MD 20910
Cultivating Community through Urban Farming
HANNAH SHOLDER, The Charles Koiner Conservancy for Urban Farming
Biography
Hannah Sholder is a founder of CKC Farming and serves as the Director of Operations. For the past 10 years Hannah has worked on local, national and international projects that support the creation of equitable, sustainable and inclusive communities. She specializes in creating conservation land trusts and community land trusts, in order to remove land from the speculative market and preserve it for affordable housing, community-driven economic development, and urban agriculture. Hannah is a Fulbright Scholar, holds a BA from Wellesley College and a Master’s degree in City and Regional Planning from UC Berkeley.