This week, our spotlight series focuses on women-centric projects and organizations around the world, and powerful women in planning and cities.

Have a look at the work of Janet Sanz: Barcelona’s deputy mayor for urbanism:

Janet Sanz is currently the Second Deputy Mayor of Barcelona with a focus on urbanism. She has led Barcelona’s push to become more walkable, the city’s most common mode of transit. She supports the creation of superblocks (superilles), which join nine city blocks, only allow local traffic at 10 kph, and create underground parking to ensure pedestrians can reclaim their streets. The first superblock in Barcelona was built in 2018 and the city is planning to create over 500 more.

Learn more about her work here: https://streets.mn/2020/05/22/how-can-cities-be-designed-for-women/

https://www.livablecities.org/articles/barcelona%E2%80%99s-superblock-program-interview-deputy-mayor-janet-sanz

This week, our spotlight series will focus on women-centric projects and organizations around the world, and powerful women in planning and cities.

The Thrivance Group, based in Oakland, is a women-led company that works to create equitable and just solutions for communities. They focus on community engagement to ensure their initiatives are working to help residents without creating any displacement or further disparities. Their three branches (Thrivance Project, Thrivace Place, and Thrivance Legacy) focus on creating safe and accessible communities, supporting quality healthcare and food options, promoting affordable housing, and ensuring access to clean air and water, all with the underlying goal of working toward social justice and racial equity.

Learn more about them here: https://thrivancegroup.com/vision

This week, our spotlight series will focus on women-centric projects and organizations around the world, and powerful women in planning and cities.

If you're not familiar with her work, take a minute to look into the efforts of Janette Sadik-Khan, who currently works at Bloomberg Associates where she coordinates global efforts to help mayors redesign their cities through innovative yet cost-effective projects. Before Bloomberg Associates, Khan served as the Commissioner of the New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) from 2007 to 2013. In her role she worked on the pedestrianization of Times Square, added 400 miles of bike lanes, launched New York’s bike-share program, and developed a “Street Design Manual” and “Street Works Manual” for the city.

https://associates.bloomberg.org/team/janette-sadik-khan/

She's so cool she even has her own website: http://www.jsadikkhan.com/

This week, our spotlight series will focus on women-centric projects and organizations around the world.

Take a moment to listen to and read these two fabulous resources:

1. Podcast 99% Invisible featured a fantast story last year about designing for vulnerable populations, and exploration of a book by Caroline Criado Perez: Invisible Women: https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/invisible-women/

2. Next City Article by Marisa Schulz about "listening on women’s perspectives — voices that are often absent or underrepresented in the planning process." https://nextcity.org/daily/entry/a-womans-place-is-in-the-city

Let us know what you think! Is the women-first approach something you have tried or would try? What other vulnerable or often overlooked populations would you put in the spotlight for future engagement?

This month, we are also sharing some inspiring work by women in our region. Today, we highlight Leslie Smallwood-Lewis, a founding partner at Mosaic Partners.

Learn more about their amazing and unique work at https://www.mosaicdp.com/

Mosaic Development Partners seeks to revitalize marginalized communities through equitable and sustainable redevelopment projects. They utilize modular construction to decrease construction costs and provide innovative solutions to land use problems by prioritizing inclusion, job creation, and the community they are working in.

Brandyn Campbell

Brandyn Campbell Communications; Antiracist Communication Consultant

Today we celebrate Brandyn, a Philadelphia consultant and communications specialist with whom we are lucky enough to work on several projects in Philadelphia. Brandyn's work applies to nearly all of our projects, and her services are in high demand.

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In her words:

"My inspiration in my work is my kids--I don't want them to have to endure the pain of having The Talk with their kids. I am passionate about inspiring people to have hard conversations about race because, without acknowledgment, there can be no action and progress. I help people understand how communication impacts who we include and exclude in conversations, and strategies to better hear, see, and advocate in the pursuit of racial justice.

"Being a woman in this field means encouraging other women, especially women of color, to take up all the space they need. We've been told all of our lives to shrink our voices, when the better option was for society to value them. I love that it is now my job to share this message loudly to advocate for all people who've been told to be quiet and take up less space. I'm here to say, Take up all need."

Brandyn Campbell is an educator, speaker, and consultant committed to ensuring that people are safe to bring their full identities into the workplace and the world, combining her background in diversity, equity, and inclusion with her communications expertise. She focused on political science and international relations in her academic career, with a B.A. from Rowan University and an M.A. from La Salle University. Brandyn is the proud mom of a three-year-old daughter and a seven-year-old son. In her downtime, she enjoys music, laughing, going on adventures with her family, and celebrating Black joy.

Learn more about Brandyn's work, and connect with her here:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandyncampbell

Melody N. Wright

Owner & Principal, SAY/DO Strategies

Today we celebrate Melody, a Philadelphia consultant and strategist working on public-governmental relationships. We are happy to call her a close friend of the firm, and love the work she does.

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In her words:

"I gained significant experience and satisfaction from my work in the public sector, as a leader in the water utilities industry. In that role, I helped connect essential services and major infrastructure projects, to outcomes and programs that can improve quality of life, through more affordable water, better jobs, beautified neighborhoods and more. I stepped out to start my own firm, so that I could have opportunities to expand upon this same kind of work, both locally, and around the country, in support of the intense economic recovery needs brought on by the pandemic. So I do what I do, because I understand how helping communities save more money and/or make more money, substantially benefits us all.

"I hold a Master’s in communications from Temple University and have a background in biomedical sciences. It’s this unique combination of skill sets that first brought me to the Philadelphia Water Department (PWD), where I became the youngest and the first black executive to lead the department’s government affairs function.

"In my current role as owner and principal at SAY/DO, I work on policy development/implementation and public and government relations, for a diverse range of clients in the public, private and non-profit sectors."

Learn more about Melody and her work at her website: www.saydostrategies.com

Bethany Whitaker

Nelson\Nygaard: Principal, Transit Practice Co-Lead

Today we celebrate Bethany, with whom we are lucky enough to work in Philadelphia through SEPTA's Bus Network Redesign project.

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In her words:

Q: "Why do you do what you do?"

I love that transportation and especially public transportation is part of nearly every challenge facing our communities – when we create safe, accessible, public transportation systems we are addressing problems related public health, equity, climate change, community development and economic progress.

I have a degree in History and Chinese Studies from Tufts University and a MA in Public Policy from the University of Washington. I love being outside, especially when it also means I’m in water. During COVID, I’ve been joining a growing number of people – mostly women – enjoying cold water swimming (or dipping to be more precise).

I am super excited about my portfolio of projects right now. One of the most interesting things I’m working right now is developing transit funding and governance options for the Baltimore region. Materials about this effort should start appearing on the Baltimore Regional Transportation Board (BRTB) website soon.

Lorna Peterson

The Enterprise Center Community Development Corporation: Community Empowerment Manager

This month, we are thrilled to give focus to just SOME of the female partners we’re lucky enough to be working directly with on projects. Today we celebrate Lorna, with whom we are lucky enough to work in Philadelphia through our Letter to Investors project with The Enterprise Center at 46th and Market street.

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In her words:

"My role in this capacity is driven by my passion to help others succeed when the odds seem to be stacked against them. Quote: A strong woman is someone who raises other women up instead of tearing them down. To be a woman in this field magnifies the certainty in women leadership positions and their ability to make a difference oppose to just making a living. Quote: The perfect woman, you see is a workingwoman, not a fine lady but one who uses her hands and her head and her heart for the good of others."

Lorna Peterson started out as the Community Empowerment Manager for The Enterprise Center Community Development Corporation. Ms. Peterson is a native of Philadelphia and a thirty-year resident of Walnut Hill who is dedicated to a life of service. Prior to joining TEC-CDC full-time, she led the administrative staff of Jones Public Adjusters in Collingdale, Pennsylvania and was a supervisor for the Philadelphia Department of Recreation. Before these positions, Ms. Peterson designed a highly motivational and challenging curriculum to tutor and home school students prior to their admission into mainstream education.

Ms. Peterson worked on the Walnut Hill Street Team since its May 2007 inception. In 2008, Ms. Peterson became the manager of the Walnut Hill Street Team. Later becoming the Community Leaders cohort. She continued to develop the 10-member outreach and engagement teams providing personal and professional training to each group and recommending them for job opportunities that fit their skill set.

Through one-on-one, door-to-door, person-to-person conversations sparking resident interest, information exchange, and resident motivation; ultimately built resident relationships and engaged community buy-in for several neighborhood and community projects and developments. Ms. Peterson has built resident capacity, strong resident leadership in the 2008 Walnut Hill Neighborhood Plan and 2016 Walnut Hill Neighborhood Plan Update, managing the Walnut Hill Community Association’s resident-led projects.

Ms. Peterson developed her outreach and engagement skills through training in Organizing for Social Change from Midwest Academy in 2008. Ms. Peterson also holds an associate degree in Business Administration and Accounting from the Pennsylvania Business Institute. In addition, she continues her education in Organizing for Social Change and works as a Client Relationship/Community Engagement Manager.

Claire Robertson-Kraft

Founder & Executive Director, ImpactED at Penn

This month, we are thrilled to give focus to just SOME of the female partners we’re lucky enough to be working directly with on projects. Today we celebrate Claire, with whom we are lucky enough to work in Philadelphia through several projects around impact measurement, best practice engagement, and high-level event management.

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In her words:

“Leadership is about making others better as a result of your presence and making sure that impact lasts in your absence.”– Sheryl Sandberg

Claire Robertson-Kraft, PhD, is the Founder and Director of ImpactED and an instructor at the University of Pennsylvania. Claire has more than fifteen years of experience working as a teacher, evaluator, facilitator, and non-profit leader in the Philadelphia region. She is passionate about bridging the worlds of research and practice and helping organizations use data to inform learning and improvement.

Laurie Corbin

Managing Director for Community Engagement

Public Health Management Corporation

This month, we are thrilled to give focus to just SOME of the female partners we’re lucky enough to be working directly with on projects. Today we celebrate Laurie, with whom we are lucky enough to work in Philadelphia through an upcoming project with PHMC around employee engagement and external best practices.

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In her words:

“There but for the grace of God go I” – this quote keeps me grounded each day. I love having the privilege to make a difference in peoples’ lives – especially those who have struggled with addictions, homelessness or other health/social services challenges which have not allowed them to live their best lives. Working at a macro level to advocate for individuals and families, by developing and implementing programs and services to meet their needs, is important work, especially when many of these individuals are black and brown woman, just like me. In the human/social services area, although woman are over represented in the workforce, those of us in senior leadership positions, especially in the non-profit space is still limited. Therefore, it is especially important as a woman of color to be in a position to show other woman of color, what is possible.

Laurie has more than 30 years’ experience in the design, operation and administrative oversight of a range of social and behavioral health service programs, serving high risk populations. She received her Bachelor of Arts, Political Science, Temple University and has a Master of Social Service and a Master of Law and Social Policy, Bryn Mawr School of Social Work/Social Research. She currently serves on the board of Joseph J. Peters Institute (JJPI) and Penn Mental Health Research Aids Community Advisory Board (PHMARC). She is a member of the Philadelphia Reentry Coalition, serving on both its Steering Committee and Strategic Planning Committee. As a member of the PA Reentry Council, she is chair of its Diversity, Equity and Reentry Committee. Finally, Laurie has a passion for facilitating education and training sessions in addiction, social services, health care and other areas related to social determinants of health.

Learn more and connect with Laurie: http://www.linkedin.com/in/lauriecorbin