movement | nature | systems

People (History + Culture) First

To know where you are going, you must know where you’ve been. And no matter the mode, the movement, or the moment - a person or a people - are behind it.

History is the foundation of my approach. It’s how I diagnose the root cause in my work - by understanding what, how, and which systemic cycles continue from the past in and into the present. Through archival research, narrative based facilitation, and deep quantitative and qualitative analysis (read: maps), I engage, partner, and advise individuals, communities, and groups how to break oppressive cycles that perpetuate in the office, our communities, and the structures that govern them.

I steward teams by building common language, trust, and space. My orientation is to nurture environments where mutual confidence, energy, respect, and clarity are always present.

Green (Space + Ways)

As a steward of the Emerald Network, I work to create and increase access to green space via greenways, park systems, and existing transportation systems by managing a 200-mile portfolio of greenway projects. At the same time, I aim for greenway implementation to benefit legacy residents, not displace them.

Greenways are not just for recreation. They are pathways for transportation, access, and health. This is paramount for communities that have low to zero green spaces, are impacted by high heat-island effect, yet have a legacy communing with the land. It is paramount that we take care of the land while the land takes care of us by cooling our cities with tree canopy, easing mental health, providing fresh air, and offering connection to place.

Watch the Cost of Greenways here.

Strategy + Process

Simultaneously facilitating process while managing projects and developing strategies can get… complicated. That’s why I like to make space to unravel the process and connect the dots. By doing this I create space to understand the systems we operate in and decipher how to plot change.

This image is from the Tufts Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning Program Field Projects, What Counts in Mobility: Improving Planning Tools for a Multi-Modal Future, analyzing four-step transportation modeling, which I managed.

Watch the video presentation here.

Moments in a City Always Moving

New York is known for its hustle and bustle. It’s easy to get caught in its tempo.

But, instead of rushing to reach the next place in a New York minute, what if we used our commutes as a moving meditation? 

Because of access, it’s not realistic for every person to change their physical commute. However, one thing everyone can change is their pace, even if for a moment.  

Not all may think mindfulness is accessible and easy to incorporate into daily life.

One way to rebuild this connection is to notice the minute and mundane, like street trees on the road, weeds between the sidewalk, or even the shade of pink of the cherry blossoms.  It has been shown when people have a deeper connection to their environment, it can increase feelings of self and belonging. In addition, activities like these reduce cortisol levels that contribute to stress and increase mental health and wellbeing.

You don't have to go off your route. You just have to lower your shoulders, look around, and open your mind to nature. 

Hopefully, that curiosity will make people use different modes of transportation, like transit, walking, and/or cycling, to experience the city anew, not just get through it.  

By taking moments to slow down in a city that is too busy to do anything, we can build a stronger relationship with the built environment, while developing a stronger relationship with nature, ourselves, and our health.