People

Our network of contributors

George Athens

Oct 02, 2020

George Athens’ career has blended architecture, building services engineering, and information technology. He specializes in exploring how rapidly advancing technologies are reshaping how we think about built environments – and how we design them. Among his passions is the transformation of workplace design based on data-supported human wellness to create a high-performance environment. As a…

Melanie Davern

Oct 02, 2020

Dr Melanie Davern is a Senior Research Fellow at RMIT University and Director of the Australian Urban Observatory a new digital planning tool delivering liveability indicators for municipalities, suburbs and neighbourhoods across the 21 largest cities in Australia. Melanie has specific expertise in the cross disciplines of applied public health and urban planning research particularly…

Dr. Darcy Marciniuk

Oct 01, 2020

Professor of Medicine; Respirology, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine Associate Vice-President Research, University of Saskatchewan Dr. Marciniuk is recognized internationally as an expert in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and clinical respiratory physiology with 420 invited international presentations and more than 200 peer-reviewed publications. He is a past-President of the Canadian Thoracic Society and American College…

Dr. Meghna Ramaswamy

Oct 01, 2020

Dr. Meghna Ramaswamy is the Director of the International Office in the Office of the Vice-President of Research, at the University of Saskatchewan, where she leads the internationalization strategy and the international research and partnerships portfolio for the institution. She has traveled and worked extensively with institutions, government, funding agencies and businesses around the world,…

Anthony Flint

Sep 18, 2020

Anthony Flint is Senior Fellow in the Office of the President at the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy. He is engaged in writing and research on a variety of topics related to sustainable cities, including infrastructure financing, climate resilience, affordable housing, and the regeneration of post-industrial cities. A contributor to the Lincoln Institute’s magazine Land…

Rafi Rich

Sep 02, 2020

Arch. Rafi Rich is the CEO and Co-founder of SUiTS, Smarter Urban IT & Strategies & the MIdCityLabs. Rich has spent the past 20 years promoting urban innovation, resilience & sustainability with cities, governments and organizations in Israel, Europe & Africa, through a synergy between technology, policy, governance & community engagement, aimed at sustainable inclusive…

Annie Koo

Aug 25, 2020

Annie Koo is the Associate Director of Housing at Sidewalk Labs, the urban innovation arm of Alphabet. She leads the company’s work on housing and affordability alongside a unique team of technologists and urbanists. Prior to Sidewalk, Annie spent time at McKinsey, where she served primarily public finance and housing clients on strategy and operational…

Cheryll Case

Aug 24, 2020

Cheryll Case practices a human rights approach to community planning. As Founder and Principal Urban Planner of CP Planning, Cheryll coordinates with charities, private sector industries, and communities to resource the systems necessary to secure dignified living for all peoples. This includes an acute focus on housing as a human right, supporting urban agriculture, and…

Dr. Eric Anthony Johnson

Aug 24, 2020

Dr. Eric Anthony Johnson is an accomplished urban redevelopment leader, consistently delivering results over his career by leveraging a solid academic, real estate development, community engagement and policy background. In his current role as Chief, Economic Development, Housing and Neighborhood Services for Dallas, Texas. Dr. Johnson has oversight of housing, urban planning and design, historic…

Reed Marill

Aug 24, 2020

Reed Marill is an investor and principal in Mākhers Studio, LLC, and serves as the firm’s chief financial officer. He is a 35+ year commercial real estate professional with a broad background emphasizing affordable housing and finance. His professional interests include affordable, urban residential and mixed-use real estate within the broader context of community revitalization…

Michael C. Threatt

Aug 24, 2020

Michael C. Threatt is the Founder and President/ CEO of the Corporation to Develop Communities of America, Inc. and is the Principal of Elevate Housing Solutions, LLC. He is also a DPA candidate at West Chester University in Pennsylvania. Michael has over 14 years of experience working for several public housing authorities (PHAs) in various…

Kourtny Garrett

Aug 14, 2020

Kourtny Garrett was named President & CEO of Dallas, Inc. in January 2017, and has been dedicated to the revitalization of Downtown Dallas in various roles with the organization since 2002. Downtown Dallas, Inc. (DDI) is a private, nonprofit organization serving as the primary advocate and champion for Downtown, ensuring that Downtown grows as a…